


St. Lucifer

by junevirginia



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Canon compliant-ish, F/M, I Love You, Mutual Pining, Porn with Feelings, Season One Lucifer, Season Two Lucifer, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 43,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28742445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junevirginia/pseuds/junevirginia
Summary: In which Chloe and Lucifer have sex in season one and discover their feelings in season two.-or-Takes place 1x11 ("St. Lucifer") after Lucifer denies Chloe for sex, which makes him feel a "rush." Chloe returns to Lux once their case is closed and they both reevaluate their reasons for not having sex. Continues through season two, pairing with the episodes to give a 'director's cut' version, if, of course, Lucifer and Chloe were sleeping together in season two.
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 360
Kudos: 612





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was re-watching Lucifer, minding my own business, when I really began to analyze the events that began in 1x10 ("Pops") when Chloe tries to have sex with Lucifer and those that followed in 1x11 ("St. Lucifer"). What if they had had sex all the way back in season one? What would it look like?
> 
> Well...
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“No need. We already have everything.” Lucifer and Vanessa Dunlear both turn at the sound of Chloe’s voice. Lucifer’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “How she embezzled money from the foundation, and when Tim found out about it, you killed him.”

Lucifer is amused. “Ah, see? Told you she’d figure it out,” he says to Vanessa.

Vanessa attempts to argue her way out of the accusation, but her lawyer steps forward with all the proof needed for her arrest. Lucifer grins at her, wolfish and thrilled at the turn of events, “Now doesn’t that feel better? Huh?” he chuckles.

Chloe’s handcuffs rattle as she steps behind Vanessa. “Vanessa Dunlear, you’re under arrest for the murder of Tim Dunlear.” Vanessa’s face reads the shock she feels and the crowd’s warmth towards Vanessa quickly dissipates. She’s just another murderer.

“Thank you,” Chloe whispers, her head tucked to the side.

“You’re welcome,” Lucifer says easily. Never not grinning. Inside him, he feels a rush of air. A rolling of something that fills him with joy. Or perhaps satisfaction. As Chloe walks Vanessa off, he says to himself, “There it is again, that rush.” He allows the feeling to sweep over him, fill his senses with something new and exciting. It’s fascinating, feeling something new after so many centuries of the same old, same old. He holds onto that feeling, tucking it inside himself.

* * *

The fundraiser attendees scatter after an hour or so, leaving Lux empty for the majority of the evening. Lucifer leans back against the bar, reveling in the brief moment of quiet. He’s so used to the pulse beneath his feet that the quiet feels more disturbing. Inside his penthouse, he appreciates the quiet, but out on the floor of Lux, he’s a different sort of Lucifer. Partying, commiserating, entertaining the masses with a song. But when Lux is quiet in the evening, he feels unnerved.

He finishes his drink and rinses it in the sink behind the bar, leaving the glass to be properly cleaned tomorrow. He unties his bowtie as he takes the steps two at a time. He presses the button for the elevator when he hears “Lucifer” behind him. He half-turns and grins.

“Hello, Detective.”

She looks…beautiful. He’d noticed it earlier, but was too amused in catching Vanessa Dunlear to bask, but now he does. Her top is sequined, showing just a sliver of her stomach which is alluring. Her deep red skirt, which he’s particularly fond of, is long, but the elegance makes it sexy. She’s spent time on her hair and makeup, pinning back some hair and lining her eyes. He drinks her in and she allows him.

After a moment, she points to the elevator, which has opened behind him. “I, uh, just wanted to say thank you.”

“You already thanked me, Detective.”

“I-I know. I wanted to thank you _again_. For everything.”

Lucifer puts his arm out to stop the elevator doors from closing. He observes her. Her fingers fiddle together, forefinger and thumb playing with the opposite forefinger and thumb. Her eyes remain on him, so he knows she’s not nervous, but she seems like she needs something. Chloe wouldn’t’ve visited for nothing. So he offers, “Would you like another drink? It’s been a long evening.” He softens his grin. “A friendly offer,” he adds.

“Okay.”

He motions her onto the elevator.

She sweeps past him, her skirt brushing his pant leg. Once she’s inside the elevator, he follows and stands on the opposite end. He presses the ‘P’ button and the doors close behind them. Lucifer’s eyes settle on her. She leans into the wall, her eyes watching the letters glow above the doors—from ‘L’ for Lux to ‘P’ for Penthouse. But right before the doors open, her eyes meet his. There’s something curious in her gaze, something Lucifer hasn’t noticed before in their months together. It…intrigues him.

Once again, he holds the door open and the two of them step into his penthouse.

“Whiskey?” he asks her as he walks past. “Or do you prefer—”

“—Whiskey’s great,” she interrupts. 

Lucifer pulls the lid from the crystal decanter, pouring a hearty splash of his current favorite bourbon into two matching crystal glasses. Chloe’s heels click on the floor as she walks past his piano, but for a moment, she takes the time to stroke the keys, making no noise. Lucifer steps out from behind the bar and stands before her. When she takes the glass, their fingers touch. There’s an…aura, a feeling—some mumbo-jumbo word that Lucifer doesn’t know—for the tension in the room. It’s Chloe’s doing. She’s wrapped up in it.

He slides a hand into his pant pocket and doesn’t take his eyes from her.

She sips the whiskey and he watches her throat move as she swallows it.

Chloe looks up at him.

“I wanted to say—”

“Did Mrs. Dunlear—”

They both begin speaking at the same time. Chloe laughs, a single breath and her wide smile, her blue eyes as deep as the ocean and— _oh, come off it, Lucifer_ , he thinks to himself. _Are you truly going to compare her eyes to a summer’s day or some other blithering nonsense?_

“Sorry, you go,” she says, waving her hand.

“I was just going to ask if Mrs. Dunlear had any other tantalizing confessions before you sent her on her way?”

“Oh. No.” Chloe licks her bottom lip. Quick. A peek of pink and then her lips are pressed together again. She raises the glass and sips.

Lucifer isn’t sure what’s wrong with him because he turned her down just the other night, but now…he can’t stop thinking about her tongue. The Vanessa Dunlear question was a distraction because he’s not sure why she’s here, but for some reason, he can feel her intentions—like when she almost kissed him—and he’s not sure he could say no tonight because of her dark-lined eyes. The deep red skirt. The sliver of skin.

Chloe clasps the whiskey glass in her hand as if it might take flight. She rocks back a little on her heels and then rights herself. She tucks hair behind her one ear, even though the hair that normally falls into her face is pinned back. Lucifer wants to remove the pins from her hair and feel the strands between each of his fingers.

_Really?_

He struggles against the voice reminding him he’s the Devil.

“Why are you here, Detective?” he asks suddenly, surprising even himself.

Chloe seems surprised, too. She forces a small smile and tucks the hair behind her other ear. “Um…I’ve been thinking a lot about the other night,” she begins and Lucifer feels the shaky ground beneath his feet. 

“Perhaps we should just move on,” he offers as an out.

She nods but doesn’t seem convinced. Her nod turns into a shake. “No. I want to say something.” She looks at him, _really_ looks at him. “I think us, our thing, maybe it goes beyond just work. Or sex.” She opens her mouth to continue.

“What sex?” he quips, interrupting, finding a brief smirk for her. “Congratulations, the first woman to give the Devil blue balls.” 

Chloe chuckles. Her face soft in the amber glow of his bar backlighting. “Anyhow, I uh, I just…I can let my guard down with you. I don’t do that with anyone else. You make me vulnerable,” she says thoughtfully. “And…maybe that’s okay.”

Lucifer slides his hand into his pocket and he feels the prick of a pocketknife against his finger as he begins to say, “Detective…” He pulls his hand from his pocket, his eyes cast down and then he sees it. A touch of blood. Just a pinprick, truly, but it’s there. As crimson as her skirt. Hot and full of life as it bleeds from his body. He looks at her, his mind full of curiosities. “If it’s any consolation to your pride…it appears you make me vulnerable, too.”

She half-smiles. She takes a step closer and he watches her. Her damn red skirt shifts like its in slow motion. “Why didn’t you sleep with me?” 

He chuckles to break the tension. “You were drunk, Detective. Mad at Dan and your mother. It wasn’t the time.”

“So, you think there’s a right time?”

“No, Detective…I…” he sighs. She looks up at him. “Chloe,” he says softly. He knew she didn’t just come to talk, but this? “You don’t want me.”

Chloe sets her drink on his piano. She’s back to worrying her fingers, but her eyes are steady. “I’m sober. I’m…not interested in anything having to do with Dan. But I can’t shake this feeling and I don’t want anything more from you. I know,” she laughs, “I know how you are, Lucifer. But…we’re two adults and I think we should have sex.”

Lucifer feels her words send a bolt of heat through him. “What happened to you ‘never, ever’ sleeping with me?”

“That was months ago.”

“That’s a flimsy excuse, Detective. You ‘know how I am.’ Is that a reference to my bedroom activities? If so, then I’m still the Devil who wanted to bed you the moment I met you.”

He steps back and then turns, giving himself some breathing room and her a moment to reconsider. Because she will reconsider. She doesn’t respond to him like women normally do. She’s not seduced by his charms, so she’ll come to her senses and this moment will be something he’ll tease her about tomorrow on the job. He pours himself a topper and takes a swig.

“If you don’t want me, or don’t want to, then I’ll just go.”

Lucifer looks at her now. 

She’s vulnerable, as she said, allowing him in…metaphorically and possibly physically. She’s offering him what he wanted and yet, he still can’t.

“Detective, I want you,” he says plainly. “A man would have to be interest in something other than what you hide beneath your skirt to not want you. But, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I don’t want you and I to lose…our friendship.”

Chloe crosses the room, once again taking away the physical space that keeps him a touch stronger, “I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m not even asking this to become a _thing_ for us. I just…I want you to fuck me and I know you want to fuck me.”

“Detective…language.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Is that what you truly desire?”

Of course, she’s immune to him, but she plays along. She smirks and leans in close and in a breathy sort of way, like Vanessa confessing to deserving her husband’s money earlier, Chloe says, “Yes, Lucifer, I truly desire _you_.”

He hooks his hand around the small of her back and drags her into his chest. She gasps, stumbles, but rights herself with her palms on him. He looks down at her, but before anything can happen, he takes another drink. She watches him, her eyes on his until they skirt along his nose, to jaw, down his throat. Her hands slide up along his suit jacket and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t already affected by her. His heart races beneath her touch, his pelvis already straining to draw her nearer.

Lucifer sets down his glass and with his free hand, he reaches up to remove the pins holding back the left side of her hair. His eyes fall to her lips, which are parted and while maybe she can ignore his charms, he certainly can’t ignore hers.

“If we’re going to do this,” he says, raising his other hand to assist in the task of freeing her hair, “I’m going to take my time with you.”

Chloe’s hands dip beneath his jacket and he feels her left fingertips pass over his nipple. 

She silently nods.

Lucifer turns his attention to the right side now, removing one, two, three pins before placing the pile of them on the bar he’s leaning against. He reaches forward now, starting at her temples, he weaves his fingers in her hair, overlapping his hands as they reach the back of her head. She tips back and leans her weight against him. He strains against her. “You’ve seduced me, Detective.”

She smiles, her lips parting prettily as he leans in closer. “Was it the eye-liner?” she jokes.

“Mm, no.” He drops one hand and takes her waist again, but then this time, his hand drifts further south to her arse. He grabs her. “It’s the skirt,” he whispers, feeling her breath against his lips now. “If you’d like me to st—”

Chloe kisses him. Her mouth fits against his perfectly as she tastes him. His eyes flutter closed as he revels in the feeling of her mouth against his. He tastes the whiskey on her bottom lip as he rolls it between his lips. She sighs and he feels her tongue, urgent against him. He gives her what she wants and he properly tastes her. Whiskey and sweetness, something cooling like mint. Her hands wrap around the back of his head, urging him on and he wouldn’t dream of stopping now. Lucifer feels dizzy from her, his arms wrapping around her and keeping her pinned against him. His one hand slips beneath her shirt to feel her smooth skin.

Lucifer has kissed thousands of people, but this one ignites a flame inside he’s not sure he’s ever felt.

Chloe’s hands move down his neck, caressing the back of his neck and then the side. He feels her fingers dance across his jaw as he continues to kiss her thoroughly. He breaks away, reluctantly, but he needs to see her. Her eyelids are hooded, her chest rising and falling. Her hands move to his jacket again, but this time, she reaches to push it from his shoulders. He detaches his grip from her only long enough for his expensive jacket to hit the floor.

“Do you need to hang it up?” she teases him, probably noticing his eyes following the Italian wool.

He smirks at her. “It’s just a suit.”

Chloe’s fingers don’t stop moving. She hooks her thumbs in his suspenders and pulls them in opposite directions. “Says the man who’s suits cost more than my house.”

“You don’t even own your house,” he teases back, leaning in to kiss her again.

“Mean,” she mumbles against his lips.

Lucifer kisses a line from her mouth along her jaw and then down her neck. She sighs and works the buttons of his shirt. “You smell divine,” he whispers into her ear as his nose skims her skin. Honey, lemon, a touch of mint. He kisses her pulse, feeling it race beneath his lips. His fingertips toy at the waistband of her skirt, drawing one finger around her from her side to the back of her skirt. He kisses right beneath her chin and moves to the other side.

Chloe pauses for a second and Lucifer can feel the change in her. He stops. He pulls back to look at her, bracing for her to come to her senses. Her finger slips through one of the bullet holes in his shirt. “Ah,” is all he says.

“What happened?”

“Vanessa Dunlear carries a gun. I hope your team caught that.”

“We did.”

He grins. “Yes, well, I’d figured out her little secret and she shot me. No worries, though.”

Chloe’s hands smooth over his chest before she pulls back the shirt to reveal not a mark on his skin. She touches him, stroking along his sternum, but while she’s looking for a wound, he’s feeling inspired by her touch. “Detective…”

She looks up at him. “You don’t lie.”

“Never.”

“She shot you?”

“Yes.”

Chloe leans in, her eyes on his until the very last moment, when she kisses the middle of his chest. It’s as if she studied his shirt because she kisses where each of the bullets should’ve killed him. Her lips are soft, warm, and tender, something he didn’t expect. Her hands keep pushing away his shirt until he helps her by shifting his arms. He lifts his wrists, where his cufflinks hold his shirt tight. “A little help.”

She takes the time to lick his left nipple first, which causes him to moan. “Cheeky,” he tells her.

Chloe’s deft fingers work each cufflink from his wrist and she sets them beside her hair pins. With his hands free, he takes her top by its hem and lifts it up and over her head. He saw her naked just a few days ago, but the sight of her black lace bra and her red skirt just below, does something to him. His head drops, kissing the tops of each of her breasts. She holds the back of his head and moans his name, arching against his mouth. He unhooks her bra as he feasts on her and she helps by removing it so his mouth can take one of her perfectly pink nipples between his lips.

“Lucifer…” she moans, which causes him to stir.

He tugs on her nipple.

“Again,” he tells her.

Lucifer covers her nipple and areola with his mouth, sucking on her and she moans, “Lucifer,” for him. Her hips push forward. Needy, turned on. He feels the same. “Please,” she whispers next and it cuts through any thoughts he might’ve been having.

He looks up at her. “Please, what?”

Chloe looks down, her hair falling like a curtain over her ears. She’s flushed, still moving her hips as if the air will give her the friction she desires. But she desires him and his pants grow tighter. “What do you want, Detective?”

“Taste me.”

He smiles, full and joyous. “With pleasure.”

Lucifer takes her by the waist and lifts her easily up onto the bar. She makes a sound, like a squeak of surprise. She sits with her thighs open, showing him exactly what she wants. Lucifer stands between her legs, bunching her skirt in his hands as he leans in towards her mouth. “Are you normally so demanding in the bedroom, darling?”

“We’re not in the bedroom,” she says before he kisses her.

She hooks an arm around his neck, her palm flat between his shoulder blades—between his wing scars. He teases her lips as his fingers tread slowly along her inner thighs. She lifts her hips forward, responding to his teasing touch. Lucifer’s fingers encounter the warmth radiating from between her legs before his one finger slides along her wet seam.

“Is that for me?”

Chloe flushes. “Shut up.”

He kisses her once more before holding her gaze and sinking lower, one knee on the ground, completely eye-level with the black lace scrap of fabric covering her. He loves the sight of the skirt bunched up her thighs, her chest rising and falling like she’s ran a marathon, and the hooded look in her eyes. He leans in to kiss her core and her thighs immediately tighten around his head. He hums against her and she jolts. “Fuck,” she whispers.

Lucifer reaches up to remove her panties, pulling them down her shaky legs, kissing along her skin before he focuses his attention on the meal before him. He takes her hips and pulls her to the edge of the bar. Her hands grip the curved wooden top, both feet planted in bar stool. He dives in, running his tongue up her slit with a full, hearty lick. Chloe groans.

Lucifer listens to her, feels the way she moves, so when he licks or sucks one part, if she’s vocal or urges him on, he keeps to that spot. He holds her hips, feeling her rocking as his tongue circles her clit, which makes her lean up, resting on her elbows to watch him. He looks at her and he’s never seen such pleasure on her face. He never thought he’d ever have the joy of pleasuring her and now, he can’t imagine stopping. Chloe lies back again, arching against the bar and Lucifer doesn’t think he’ll ever forget this image.

“Lucifer…” she moans, her knees pressing against his ears.

He slides two fingers inside her. She tightens immediately around him.

When she comes, she releases a cry, her knees shaking all the way to her shoulders. She holds the back of his head while he feels her let go. He removes his fingers and replaces them with his tongue but can only do that for a few moments before she’s pushing against his forehead, trying to shut her knees. “Too much,” she says through a pant.

Lucifer stands. He lifts her around the middle of her back. She’s like a ragdoll and allows him to tuck her into his chest. “You taste like Heaven,” he says against her ear.

She laughs softly. “And you would know what Heaven tastes like, wouldn’t you?”

“Now you’re getting it.”

Chloe lifts her arms and grasps his shoulders. She looks into his eyes. “This bar top isn’t very comfortable.”

“But you’re a vision up there.”

She leans in to kiss him, unafraid of where his mouth has been. She kisses him slowly, opening him up to her, her tongue sweeping into his mouth. Lucifer pries open her thighs so he can stand against her. He secures her around the waist and lifts her until her legs and arms wrap around him. Lucifer crosses the room and feels for the Assyrian stone leading into his bedroom. He walks her up the stairs, the toes of his shoes hitting the bed as he lays her back.

Chloe lifts her hips, pressing her feet into the mattress to unzip her skirt. Lucifer assists her, pulling the material and dropping it to the floor until she’s gloriously naked, save for her heels. He takes one of her ankles, holding it up close to his face. He presses a kiss just above the strap. “Mm, I might need you to keep these on.”

“Pervert.”

He shoots her a wolfish grin. “Vanilla now, are we?”

“Whatever you consider vanilla is probably too far for me.”

Lucifer unbuckles one of the straps. “Perhaps next time we’ll broaden your horizons.”

Chloe presses her bare foot to his chest, running a toe down over his stomach. “Who says there’s going to be a next time?”

He tosses the shoes to the side and unzips his pants. His eyes settle between her legs and he nods in her direction. “Your wet cunt tells me there might be a next time.”

Chloe blushes and lies back onto the mattress, covering her face. “You said that.”

Lucifer removes his pants and steps out of his expensive shoes, but he doesn’t care. He can’t care, not when she’s spread across his bed waiting for him. Lucifer feels her eyes on him, peeking at him through her fingers. “Nothing you haven’t seen before, darling. And just this week, too. A little tit for tat after your show the other evening.”

She removes her hands to reach for him. “Shut up and just fuck me.”

He takes her one hand and gently, but swiftly, pulls her up from the bed. He catches her, pulling her naked body against his because he wants to feel her like this. He presses his nose into her hair and touches down her back, across her arse, sweeping between her thighs. Her hands explore him, over his shoulders, down his arms. Her breath is against his throat when her hands travel south until she wraps a hand around him. Lucifer involuntarily thrusts into her touch.

Chloe smiles against his skin. She applies pressure, jerking him against her stomach in smooth, even pulls. He practically unfolds beneath her touch, gripping her to keep standing up. “Detective,” he moans against her ear.

She pushes her hips forward until the head of his cock kisses her slit. 

He grips her arse. “Fuck me, Detective.”

Chloe pushes him towards the bed, shifting him until he’s falling onto his back. He slides back on the sheets and she crawls to follow up. She looks like a predator and once again, something stirs inside. He doesn’t understand it—the rush of assisting her, the vulnerability, the stirring she creates inside him, but he never wants this moment to end. As she climbs on top of him, holding him again, he gives into her and he offers himself to her.

She welcomes him inside her and he basks in her warmth. She rocks against him, her knees on either side of his hips, her hands pressing to his stomach. He reaches up, tangling his hands in her hair again and he watches her face as she moves. She seems euphoric, which he understands. He feels it, too. He thrusts up against her just once and watches as he eyes widen. Lucifer takes her by the hips to encourage every sweep of her warmth against him.

Chloe leans forward to kiss him again, which he gladly returns, just as she begins to ride him. She’s lovely, gripping him like a glove. He cups one of her breasts, playing with her nipple, while holding the middle of her back. He begins matching her pace with his own thrusts.

“Harder,” she moans against his lips.

He thrusts up once, twice, much harder than before. She nods.

Lucifer holds the back of her neck as he overruns her movements with his thrusts. “Look at me, Chloe,” he tells her and he eyes open. He holds her gaze as she takes him, because she has the upper hand here. She’s driving and he’ll go wherever she takes him.

“Touch me,” she begs.

He licks his fingertips and presses his hand against her clit.

She wraps her hand around his forearm, guiding him against her. She presses back, sitting upright on him. She looks like a goddess and it’s enough to make his head light. He looks down to where they’re joined, her movements and his, his fingers on her, and he tips his head back and groans. Chloe leans one hand back onto his knee and she makes a sound and cries his name again and he feels her tighten. He doesn’t stop his movements, riding her through her orgasm as she comes on top of him. He sits up, wrapping his arms around her as he thrusts to meet her. She holds him, his mouth on her chest, as he begins to come. She strokes his hair, the back of his neck, over his scars as he spills inside her.

For a long time, they sit there like that. His breathing regulates, his heart returns to normal beats, but neither moves. Eventually, he feels her lips against the side of his head, kissing just north of his ear. She pulls back, her smile lazy.

Lucifer leans in to kiss her.

Chloe returns the kiss briefly. “I have to go,” she says.

“What? Now?”

“I have to get Trixie from the sitter.”

Lucifer holds onto her for a moment. “You know I have stamina for days. And I told you I wanted to take my time with you.”

“And you did. I’m…thank you. That was…incredible. But I do have to go.”

He releases her and Chloe untangles herself from him. She slides off the bed and walks into the bathroom and just the sight of her naked back and bum is enough to make him semi-hard again. He flops back against the mattress, one hand behind his head and the other across his torso.

When Chloe reenters the room, she climbs up on the bed. He looks at her, watching her climb across him. She hovers over him, her chest close to his. “Thank you.”

“You said that.”

“And I mean it.”

She leans in and kisses him slowly and he feels sluggish from needing her. He holds her by the back of the neck while she strokes his face, her fingers curling beneath his chin. He wants to pull her back down, have her again. Taste her again. But she pulls away too soon and Lucifer is left with a strange feeling in his chest. A longing, perhaps.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” she whispers against his lips.

Lucifer mutely nods. She smiles and is gone. He listens to her collect her things and then the elevator sounds and she’s truly gone. Lucifer stands, walks to the steps, and looks out. His jacket and shirt on the floor, his whiskey glass forgotten, but no sign of her. 

Why does he long for her when she’s only been gone for a moment?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Malcolm dead, Lucifer and Chloe both have some explaining to do. Post 1x13.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I blame you for encouraging me when this was supposed to be just a one shot. Oh well. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I've certainly never written 9,000+ words (between the first and second parts) in about 24 hours. I have some ideas. I sort of like the spit-balling nature of this fic.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts.

Malcolm Graham is dead and Chloe can still hear the ring of four gunshots in her head. 

She lays her head back on a throw pillow, resting her wine glass on her bent knees. She’s had to shoot perpetrators before. She’s even had to shoot to kill, but she finds no joy in taking a life. It weighs on her, even if Malcolm had cracked—had taken lives and caused chaos everywhere he went. Since the moment she saw what she saw at Palmetto Street, she’s been a pariah, but with Dan’s confession and Malcolm’s death, she’s feeling a little vindicated.

She worries about Dan, even if she’s so mad at him she can’t focus. They’re supposed to be a team and yet he stabbed her in the back. She’s not sure what kind of punishment she wishes on Dan—maybe none at all—but she does know no punishment will top how guilty he feels.

And then there’s Trixie. Chloe can see into her room from her spot on the couch and she simply watches her daughter after the day she had. Being kidnapped by Malcolm was one thing, but having to endure hiding from him, keeping herself tucked away as bullets rang out. Chloe can’t imagine her kid walks away unaffected by today.

Her last worry is for Lucifer, but that worry feels wholly different. He’s been weird since they slept together—avoiding her, taking separate cars, checking her back for…scars like his? She never received a clear answer on that one. She tried to talk to him about it, but with everything with Malcolm, they didn’t have a moment. She’d hoped, once Trixie was safe in her arms, Lucifer might say something—he looked like he was going to, but he simply asked if it was past Trixie’s bedtime.

Chloe wants to go see him, clear the air, but she can’t leave Trixie. She doesn’t want to.

She’s also not sure what she might say to Lucifer. Perhaps sleeping together was the wrong call, especially after how he’s been acting, but she can’t deny that it felt good. Great, actually. It was…unexpected. She knew he’d be good, but…she sighs. She could’ve ruined everything and all because of her hormones.

Chloe sets her wineglass on the coffee table and sinks down into the couch. She closes her eyes. She’ll probably sleep here tonight.

A knock on the front door stops her from getting more comfortable.

She sits up. It’s late and she knows Dan’s being questioned at the station. The only other person who might swing by so late is… “Lucifer,” she says as she opens the door.

“Detective. I know it’s late, but—”

She steps back. “Come in, but we have to stay quiet…Trixie.” She shuts the door behind Lucifer and walks over to Trixie’s door, not shutting it all the way, but folding it over to block at least some of the sound from their voices. Lucifer stands in the middle of her living room in his classic black suit and for a moment, she has a flash of what he hides beneath his clothes. She shakes the image away. “What are you doing here?”

Lucifer turns to her, as serious as can be, and asks, “What are you?”

“What am _I_? What the hell are you? Malcolm killed you and yet…”

“Am I speaking into a void? On mute?” he asks theatrically. “I’ve told you, Detective, time and time again. I am the—”

“—Devil, yes I hear you. But you have to understand how crazy that sounds!”

“Yes, well, there’s not much I can do to change the _sound_ of things, Detective.”

Chloe blows out a rush of air. “Are you mad at me?” She can hear it in his tone. His anger, which seems to be directed right at her.

Lucifer runs his hand over the back of her one accent chair. “I’m not mad at _you_ , Detective. I’m frustrated because you’re an enigma. You aren’t affected by me”—she scoffs—“I can’t pull out your desires and now, I appear to be vulnerable in your presence. As you can imagine, it’s unnerving and I’d like to know what you are. If you’re here to hurt me—”

“—I’m not here to hurt you. I’m not here for you at all. You’re the one who is a mystery. Who are you really? Enough with the Lucifer persona! I want to know _you_.”

His eyes darken. “You know me, Detective.”

“How can I when I don’t even know your real name?”

Lucifer strikes the back of the accent chair with an angry fist. He’s coiled tight, his shoulders straining towards his ears, his hands fists. He won’t even look at her now. “I’ve told you who I am and if you choose not to believe me, then that’s your business, not mine. I _am_ Lucifer. That is my name, the only one I go by. If you can’t accept that—”

“—I can’t!” she says in an elevated whispered, her voice angry and cold. “I can’t accept that you’re Lucifer when you barge in here and accuse me of being…”—she waves her hand dismissively—“whatever you think I am.” She steps closer to him, the chair between them. Her eyes bore into his. “I don’t need to know all the gory details—I don’t need to know how you survived Malcolm’s bullets, or how you were shot by Vanessa Dunlear and walked away without a scratch. But I think I deserve to know who you are if you’re going to come into my house and make accusation at me.”

His hand is all tendons, pulled tight in anger. His eyes are like cold onyx. Chloe sighs because they’re not going to get over this hurdle if they can’t trust each other. She walks to stand next to him. Tentatively, she rests her hand on his forearm, her other hand pressed to her sternum. “You know me, Lucifer. I’m just Chloe Decker. I’m not here to hurt you or plot against you or whatever you’re worried about. We’re partners and just as you won’t lie to me, I won’t lie to you.”

“Humans always lie. They lie about lying.”

“And devils don’t lie?”

“There’s only one of me and I certainly don’t lie.”

She watches as his anger lessens; she can see it in his eyes. He looks away from her, but she doesn’t do the same. She keeps her hand on him, grounding him to the moment. The truth is, they might never know each other. He might have some paranoid agenda that he’ll keep pinning on her and she might never know him as anyone but Lucifer Morningstar, but until now—until this case—it didn’t matter. She does trust him, even if he’s not completely honest, and she needs him to trust her too or they’ll never work.

Chloe’s hand strokes up to his elbow. She allows herself some liberties that she wouldn’t take before they slept together—excessive touching being one of them—but now that she’s touched worse on his body—and he for hers—it seems safe to touch an elbow.

“What can I say that’ll prove to you I’m on your side?”

She feels him tense a little again, so she strokes back down to his forearm to comfort him. “You didn’t arrest me,” he says. “You could’ve, but you didn’t.”

“I tried to, but you fled.”

“The second time,” he reminds her, looking down at her. “When we retrieved the money Malcolm tried to steal.”

Chloe nods. “You trusted me then. Why not now?”

“I’d _like_ to trust you, Detective, but I don’t understand your motives.”

“Then why don’t you just ask?”

He nods slightly. “Detective,” he starts, almost mocking, an inside joke. “What’s your motive with me?”

She smiles a little at his tone. “Well, I’d like to keep you around because you’re helpful. I’d like to continue being your partner, solving murders together, and…I’d like to be your friend, Lucifer. You’re…probably my best friend right now and I need that because, if you haven’t noticed, my life has gone off the rails as of late.”

“I don’t think your life has gone off the rails.”

Chloe drops her hand from him. “I’ve been making some interesting decisions lately.”

He chuckles. “Like having sex with me?”

She looks up at him, her eyes narrowing. “Yeah…maybe.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No. Do you?”

“Absolutely. You’re truly rubbish at it, you know.” His eyes are lit with humor. “I had an utterly terrible time and wish to never reenact those moments.”

Chloe laughs, tucking her hair behind her ears. For a second, nerves strike in the pit of her stomach. _He did say ‘next time’ when we were last together._ Chloe won’t admit it, unless he does, but she feels a stirring inside her and she can imagine it again. She can almost see Lucifer kissing her against her couch, having to be quiet because Trixie is right there and… _stop it._

Lucifer’s eyes sweep over her, which he doesn’t try to hide. She’s dressed in nothing special—just a long-sleeve shirt and yoga pants, tucked into comfort for the evening—but he looks at her like he did when she was wearing that skirt. It’s as if it wasn’t that outfit that did it, but just simply her. She tilts her head a little as Lucifer’s eyes land on her face. He’s not embarrassed for having been caught. In fact, it makes him grin wider. “Those pants truly leave nothing to the imagination, Detective.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Aren’t I always?”

She’s not sure what she wants. The feeling of him inside her was exquisite, but if they do this again, what does it mean? But if she says no, will it be no forever? She wants him to make the decision, but she also wants to be able to—

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Lucifer asks.

Chloe could lie. ‘Nothing,’ she could say flippantly. But isn’t honesty their cornerstone? But if she tells him she wants him—strictly for sex—is that giving part of her power away? Does she need her power? Does it truly matter?

Lucifer sweeps around the chair casually, his hands in his pockets, and he approaches her. He’s seductive, even if he says he can’t seduce her. Perhaps he can’t seduce her like he does others, but he still has a charm about him. She looks up at him, feeling a rush roll along her spine. “You keep thinking; I can see it all over your face.”

“Am I not allowed to think now?”

His mouth quirks. “You may think about whatever you like, Detective, but if you’re thinking about, say, me, I wish you’d share with the class.”

“What if I was? Thinking about you.”

“Good things, I hope.”

She shakes her head.

His eyes widen for a moment and he grins. “Naughty things?” His voice dips, a whisper across her lips.

She nods.

Lucifer leans closer, minutely. His eyes fall to her lips. “I didn’t come over here for this.”

Chloe moves closer, too, but boldly. She reaches out, curling her fingers into the waistband of his trousers, feeling the heat pouring from his skin. His eyes watch her hands before falling onto her face again. “It didn’t even cross your mind?”

“Oh, it’s crossed my mind a lot, Detective. I seem to be a bit strung out on you, as it were.”

“What do you mean?” She slowly, painfully slowly, unloops his belt from his pants, but she doesn’t move the belt from the metal stopper. Not yet. She holds the leather against her palm.

“My head has been full of you,” he admits and she feels a coiling again. A lick of heat between her legs. “I haven’t had anyone in my bed since you.” She looks at him wide eyed. “I know. Not like me at all. But why drink two-buck chuck when I’ve tasted the finest bottle of Chateau Margaux?” His mouth hovers over hers. She can practically taste him.

Chloe slides the belt past the stopper and frees it from the buckle. Her fingers rest against the waistband button. “Is that a good bottle of wine?”

He chuckles. “The very best.” Lucifer reaches behind her, his hands sliding beneath the back of her shirt. His two palms glide over her skin, causing her to shiver—her nipples pressing against her shirt. “As I thought,” he remarks, possibly about finding her braless. His hands inch over her ribs to the front of her, palming her breasts, confirming her suspicions.

“You haven’t even kissed me yet,” she begins, punctuated by the undoing of his button, “and you’re already feeling me up.”

“I can do both, Detective.”

Lucifer kisses her. Softly, at first, just a whisper of his lips against hers. Her eyes flutter shut as she reaches for his zipper next. He presses into her now, his mouth covering hers as he separates her lips with his tongue. Chloe unzips him tooth by tooth carefully, knowing how the man can’t bother with any undergarments. She reaches her hand inside and feels the hard length of him, causing him to moan against her lips.

Chloe smirks, realizing she has more power than he ever could when his cock is in her hand.

She strokes him, feeling his veins as he reacts to her touch. With her shirt pressed up against his wrists while he fondles her, she can kiss the head of him against her bare stomach, jerking him slowly against her. His mouth pulls from hers as he sucks in a breath. His eyes are still closed, so she observes him, looking over the turn of his mouth, the way he’s submitting to her touch. It’s intoxicating. Chloe leans in to kiss him now, hooking her arm around the back of his neck.

Lucifer’s hands drop to her hips, pulling her close as their kiss intensifies. He grinds against her hand, his hips against hers pinning her hand between them. But she keeps working him, brushing her thumb along his aching head, and feeling him pulse against her palm.

He regains a little composure, breaking from their kiss to rest his forehead to hers. It’s strangely intimate, but Chloe likes the desperate touch. “What do you want?” she asks him. She’s so aware of Trixie just a few feet from them and she knows they’re going to have to move upstairs, but for the moment, she can’t imagine moving from this very spot.

He pants. “You told me the other night to taste you…”

Chloe feels a shiver.

“…Yes?”

Lucifer holds the back of her neck. “Would you do the same for me?”

She feels different this time, but Chloe can’t pinpoint what’s different. It’s not a bad thing, in fact, it might be better, but she feels…a different kind of connection. She nods. He didn’t even need to ask, but she likes that he tells her what he wants. “We can’t do this here.” She nods over his shoulder. “Trixie…”

He nods. She releases her hold on him and for a moment while he’s not under her spell, he grabs her, holding her close. “Where to, Detective?”

Chloe closes the button of his pants, holding him together for a moment as she leads him to the stairs. He follows her, but halfway up, he grabs her and turns her around, her back to the wall between steps. Lucifer kisses her and any of the tenderness from a moment ago disappears. She drags herself closer to him like a landslide, holding him against her. His hands anchor her to him and he lifts her easily up the stairs, his hand on the wall guiding their way.

She turns him until he’s now pressed against the wall outside her room. She unbuttons his pants again and doesn’t wait a moment before sinking down onto her knees. “Detective…” he moans, before she’s even touching him.

The hallway is dark, so she can barely see him, but she feels for him. She takes him in her hand again and leans in to kiss the very tops of his thighs. With her free hand, she pulls down his pants until they bunch at his ankles, and Chloe feels the outside of his thigh, feeling it flex against her fingers. He doesn’t touch her at first, but when her mouth wraps around him, she feels his hand along the side of her face. His touch is much gentler than she expected. It’s a touch of appreciation and as his fingers curl around her chin, a touch of desire.

Chloe takes her time with him. She feels his small thrusts every now in again, but he mostly lets her go to work on him. She holds his hips, her mouth keeps a slow pace at first, and then picking it up. She swirls her tongue around him, appreciating his size, the taste of him on her tongue. She runs one hand up his stomach and realizes he’s removed his shirt and jacket, leaving him with just his pants around her ankles. She feels a thrill of pleasuring him in the dark, of only being able to hear his moans instead of seeing the look on his face.

“Detective…” Lucifer moans, his hips thrusting forward.

She focuses on his head, her tongue sweeping and undulating. He groans and she feels the noise beneath her palm. Chloe is filled with her own kind of desire for him, wanting him in a way she’s not used to. She doesn’t do this for just anyone, but with Lucifer, she wants to know every part of him, especially the parts that make him moan.

Chloe’s hands hold him against her as he tells her, “I’m going to come.” A warning that she ignores, continuing her ministrations. When he does come, she holds him tighter.

She sits back on her heels, still fully dressed, on her knees, before a naked man. _What a picture_ , she thinks. His hand finds her and he pulls her up. Lucifer leans close, his mouth near hers. She kisses him and he kisses her back. Lucifer says against her lips, “Not as vanilla as I thought.”

“I have my surprises.”

“You certainly do.” He sweeps her hair from her face and the way he’s looking at her, or so she can tell, it feels like he can see her. She runs her palms over his chest and looks up at him. Her heart races in her chest and when he leans in to kiss her again, she’s sure that the darkness doesn’t affect him.

Lucifer lifts her up and carries her into her bedroom. She laughs at him. “Nice shuffle.”

He lays her down and bend to tug off his shoes and pants. “If you’d just gotten me properly naked, I would’ve looked very dashing carrying you to this bed.”

“Hm? Really? Not sure I’d call you ‘dashing.’”

Lucifer chuckles and leans over to flick on her bedside lamp. Her eyes are flooded under the sight of him standing over her, extremely naked, and hard again. She presses her thighs together and his eyebrow quirks.

“What would you call me, then?” He parts her knees with his hands and leans in to cover her body with his. 

“Cute.”

His hands hover at the hem of her top. “Cute?” he asks, stopping his movements.

Chloe feels him pressing against her and it’s getting harder to think. “Handsome?”

Lucifer holds her up by the middle of her back and with an expert hand, he pulls her shirt up and over her head, her arms stretching out along the mattress. He covers her again, completely, and his hands run up her arms until he wraps his hands around her wrists. “Okay?” he asks.

She nods.

“Are you asking if I’m handsome or telling me, Detective?”

She rolls her hips up. “Telling you.”

“That’s slightly better.” Lucifer holds her wrists tight, but not too tight. A pressure that roots her in the here and now. It’s nothing, just his hands holding her, but the flame inside her spreads. She moves her hips up against him, causing friction between her thighs. Lucifer leans in to kiss her neck and whisper in her ear, “Are you using my body, Chloe?”

Her name on his tongue makes her moan. Lucifer keeps one hand holding her wrists, the other ventures between them, running across her left breast, down her ribs, and into the hallow of her stomach. His hand teases her waistband, much like she was doing for him earlier. When she doesn’t answer him, he asks, “What do you want?”

She can’t believe she’s in this position again—well, not this _exact_ position, since it wasn’t like this last time—but inviting him into her body. But she can’t help it. “You.”

Lucifer’s hand slides into her leggings. “What part of me?”

“Your cock.”

“Mm,” he hums against her, leaning in to kiss her.

Lucifer removes his hand from her wrists and makes quick work of removing her leggings and panties. She helps, lifting her hips and spreading her thighs for him to settle in-between. Lucifer holds himself against her, running along her slit, and she rocks against his erection. “Please.”

He sinks into her slowly and it feels like a relief. Chloe wraps her arm around his shoulders, her palm flat against his back. She feels the edge of one of his scars and his eyes find hers. He doesn’t move, just fills her, and she asks the question as she strokes the edge of his scar. He nods a little and leans in to kiss her as she feels along his skin. He pours something into his kiss that she can’t name. Both her hands feel him now, the one spot he’d asked her—begged her—not to touch, but he allows her. 

_Don’t…please._

Chloe runs her hands down his back, holding handfuls of her butt in her hands, encouraging him because she needs it. “Fuck me,” she whispers against his lips.

Lucifer holds her hip and he thrusts into her, pressing her down into the mattress. She clings to him, arms and legs wrapped around him like she might fall otherwise. He moans into her ear and tells her, “You’re divine.” She shivers beneath him and his words.

She loses herself to him, feeling his strength with each thrust. Her lips find his mouth, his jaw, his throat, across his shoulders. He bends over her, cradling the back of her head and it feels like he’s…protecting her. She arches up and whispers his name. Lucifer holds himself up enough to look into her eyes, stroke her face, and she can see he’s lost himself in her, too.

Chloe comes first in a rush. It blindsides her. She feels like a rocket bursting and not long after, he’s following her, chasing her to the stars. Lucifer lays his weight onto her as the two of them catch their breath. It’s pleasant and comforting. She strokes his hair, feels his breath against her clavicle. They’re both quiet, motionless in the dim light of the single lamp, but they’re connected and Chloe doesn’t know what it means.

She doesn’t know what she wants it to mean.

When Lucifer presses up from her, he makes sure to kiss her first.

“Well…” he says, amused.

She smiles back, but her mind is like a hurricane of confusion.

Lucifer slides from between her thighs and lies back on the mattress beside her. She glances over at him, their bodies angled across the sheets. He glances at her and she sees his easy grin. The way his eyes hover over her eyes, darting for a moment to her lips. She tries to read him, but she feels like she understands him less in this moment than even an hour ago.

“I guess it’s my turn to leave.”

She nods mutely.

Lucifer stands up, an Adonis crossing her room easily. He pulls on his pants, zipping them and buckling his belt. He stands there for a moment, shirtless with bare feet. His chest is untouched—the bullets, the blood after Malcolm shot him—gone. Or never there. _Could he truly be…_ He sits on the bed to slide on his shoes. His shirt and jacket are in the hallway, but he doesn’t leave her yet. He’s fully dressed now and she’s still as bare as the day she was born in the middle of her bed.

His eyes flicker dark. “Hm.” His mouth turns up. “You truly are made of divinity.” He leans over her, only making it to her belly button. He kisses her there. “I’ll see you later?” he asks, hopeful.

“Yes.”

Lucifer kisses both of her thighs and stands again. “Goodnight, Detective.”

She watches him go and for a moment, wonders what would’ve happened if he’d stayed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe visits Lucifer after her night out with Ella, Linda, and Maze in 2x04 ("Lady Parts"). Lucifer learns Chloe's been in a car accident 2x05 ("Weaponizer").

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three days in a row. I probably won't keep this pace up, but it's been a joy so far. I actually started plotting, so I have an idea of where this is going. I appreciate all your feedback.
> 
> Two notes: 1) Any typos, etc. please forgive me. I have no beta and I've written this fairly quick. If anything is egregious, please let me know. 2) I will be diverting and definitely finding myself in complete AU eventually. You'll obviously know it when you see it. However, I will be following the general plot of the show through season two.

Lucifer hovers near his bar, nursing his Glenfiddich, and contemplates heading back downstairs. He received Maze’s text—proving that Chloe could have a fun night out—so it feels like his work is done. He could find another two blonds to warm his bed, take his mind off his mother and Amenadiel and…Chloe. She’s the reason he hasn’t been tumbling head to toe with those two women from earlier. If only—

The elevator announces its arrival, the doors whispering open. Chloe has one hand on the wall, another on her hip and he feels a moment of déjà vu. “Detective, here to cockblock me again?”

She walks into the penthouse, a little weary on her feet. “Nope. I just got in a bar fight and I’m _supposed_ to be headed back to the station to follow up with some guy who saw our two dead girls at a pop-up sex party, but I’m here instead.”

“I have many, many questions.” He notices the cut over her eye. “But first, did you give it as good as you got it?” he asks, motioning to the cut.

Chloe smiles, full and bright—a rarity. “Oh yeah. And you should’ve seen Maze. She broke a pool stick over her knee and just— _whoosh!_ ” she says, reenacting Maze hitting a man with half a pool stick. Or possibly hitting a baseball.

“You’re quite sloshed, aren’t you?”

She approaches him with a nod. “Yup, which is why I’m here.”

He looks her up and down, dressed for work, but her hair tousled to the side. She’s quite…alluring like this. Chloe lifts his drink from his hand, her fingers brushing past his, and she pours the amber liquor down her throat. “That was almost a hundred dollars of the finest whiskey, darling.”

Chloe holds her finger up, the rest of her hand still wrapped around the glass. “Don’t…call me darling.”

“Whyever not?”

She hands him back the glass and walks around him. Chloe steps out of her shoes as she goes, leaving them in the middle of his floor. Like the first time, she touches his piano, but this time, she presses a key, B sharp echoing through the room. “I’m about to be a divorcee,” she says to the room, to Lucifer, or to no one in particular.

Lucifer walks back to the bar, to his decanter, and pours another glass. “You’re getting divorced from _Dan_. I’d say you’re better for it.”

“We were together for a long time.”

“And now you’re not.” He walks towards her. “He’s a _douche_ , Detective. You’re better off.”

She turns to him, leaning back against his piano, her elbows resting along the smooth top. “Am I? I had this plan, you know? The job, the husband, the kid. And now I’m a homeless divorcee.”

Lucifer doesn’t like this side of her. “You hardly see yourself clearly, Detective.”

“Yeah? What am I missing?”

_You’re brilliant. Clever. Funny. A good mother. A good detective. Beautiful. Radiant. Stunn—_

“You’re too drunk for this conversation, Detective.” He takes a sip of his whiskey. “I’ll make you some coffee. Sober you up a bit. And then I can drive you into the station, since you’re so hell bent on getting work done.”

As he turns, Chloe’s hand wraps around his forearm. He stops and looks at her over his shoulder. Her hand travels up his arm and she pushes off the piano to walk around him, stand before him. “You turned me down the last time I showed up here drunk.”

“Yes, and I plan to do the same again, Detective.”

“Why? You know why I’m here.”

“I don’t, actually. I’d need you to say the words.”

Chloe presses her body to his and Lucifer can’t deny what her touch does, how it makes him come undone. He looks into her light eyes, stormy with doubt, but lit with hope. “I want to have sex with you.”

He sighs. “Detective…you’re making this difficult.”

“Don’t you mean,” she says, her hand cupping him through his pants, “I’m making this _hard_ on you.”

He smiles a little and tries to ignore himself stirring beneath her touch. “Well yes, I do mean that, but not right now.” He takes her by the wrist, removing her hand from him. “As much as I like having sex with you, Detective, I won’t when you’re too drunk. I don’t…” _want it to be like that_. “I respect you.”

She rolls her eyes and backs off him. “Then why am I even here?”

“Charming.”

Chloe walks into the living room and all but falls back onto the couch. She throws her one arm over her eyes. “I shouldn’t be here.”

Lucifer walks over to her, lowering himself to sit beside her. He leans until his elbows are on his knees. “Why shouldn’t I call you darling?”

“Because…”

He scoffs. “Not much of a reason.”

Chloe presses her arm tighter to her eyes and she turns away, facing the backrest of the couch. “Because,” she says in a small voice, “I’m not yours.”

Lucifer tilts his head, regarding her. He sees her, under the influence and seemingly lost, but he can’t help but have a flash to the other night. Leaving her in her bedroom after their second time. She’d been…quiet. Thoughtful, perhaps and it niggled at him. He couldn’t figure where their fun had turned. He’d thought it was in those last moments. He’d thought about staying, returning to her, but for what? To cuddle? No. He couldn’t do that. Not with her.

He reaches for her arm. “Detective…”

Her phone rings in her back pocket. She sits up, lifting her hips to remove her phone. He watches her lift herself and…he looks away because he shouldn’t be thinking what he’s thinking. Chloe looks at her phone with one eye closed. She presses it to her ear. “Decker.”

Lucifer stands and downs his glass. “Mm-hmm,” Chloe says and he can hear her moving around. She stands and he takes a step forward, prepared to help her, but he stops himself. “I’m coming in now.” She squats to put on one of her boots, her phone pinned between her shoulder and ear. “Yup, thanks Dan.” Chloe lets her phone slip down onto the floor before reaching for her second boot. 

“New information?” Lucifer asks.

“No. I told Dan I was on my way and he was…concerned when I wasn’t at the precinct yet.” She stands. “I have to go.”

“You’re not driving are you?”

Chloe shoots him a look. “No. I’m a cop, Lucifer. I’ll call an Uber.”

“Well, good because I wouldn’t want—”

“I have to go.”

She walks right past him to the elevator, keeping her eyes on the floor as the doors shut. Lucifer stands there, watching her go, wondering why she’s so upset that he wouldn’t sleep with her.

* * *

The call comes in as he finishes his tedious meeting with the Lux staff. 

“Lucifer?”

He rolls his eyes at the voice but plays a game anyway. “And who might you be?”

Dan sighs. “Lucifer, it’s Dan. I wanted to tell you—”

“—Is there a sale at the mall for _douche_ jackets like the ones you wear? I assure you, I won’t be needing one. But if I need any lessons in becoming more like you…well, I think I’ll just jump off a tall building or walk as far out into the ocean for the sharks to find me.”

“Come on, man. Chloe’s in the hospital.”

Lucifer freezes. He grips his phone. “She…what? What happened?” He’s already up the stairs, heading for the front door and out into the blinding afternoon sun. Dan tells Lucifer Chloe was in a car accident and Lucifer remembers his conversation with Amenadiel. 

_You made a deal for Chloe’s life?_

_Don’t you understand? You made a deal to return Mom to Hell. In exchange, Chloe’s life was spared._

_What if Dad decides to take back his side of the deal?_

“Is she alright?” Lucifer demands as he climbs into his Corvette.

“She’s going to be fi—”

“—What hospital?”

“Lucifer, I just thought you should know. But really, she’s oka—”

“—What bloody hospital, Daniel?”

When Lucifer pulls into Cedar Sinai, he doesn’t need to do much charming to be pointed in the direction of the ER. He called Chloe twice on the drive over and she, too, assured him she was fine, but he needs to see. He storms down the hallway, making a left and then a right and he pushes through the doors to the emergency room. Doctors, nurses, and orderlies mill about, but he looks past them until he spots Chloe sitting on the edge of a bed, Dan standing in front of her and Trixie sitting beside her.

Lucifer crosses the room and Chloe meets his eyes as he approaches. He sees something there and then she smiles a little. “You didn’t have to come,” she says, and Dan and Trixie notice him, too.

He sees the stitches over her left brow, where she’d had a wound hours ago after the fight in the tiki bar. Now she has a bigger wound there. Other than that, she looks like Chloe. He wants to reach out to cup her cheek, reassure himself that she is fine, but he resists, fisting his hand at his side. “What happened?”

“A dog ran in front of a car and the car swerved and hit me. My cruiser is pretty banged up, but honestly, Lucifer, I’m fine.”

“I’m taking care of her,” Trixie says brightly.

Lucifer glances at her. “Yes, good on you, small one. But it’s the doctor’s opinion I trust.” He looks around the busy ER. “Where is your doctor?”

“She gave Chloe the all-clear and a nurse stitched her up and—”

“—A nurse? No, no. You should’ve had the plastic surgery people tend to you. I’ll go find someone better. You shouldn’t have half-assed stitches in your face, Detective.”

Chloe reaches out, taking Lucifer’s hand. He looks down, feeling her fingers wrapping around his. “Lucifer, I am _fine_. I’m being well-cared for. The nurse just went to get some paperwork and once that’s done, I’m going home to sleep. Really, I wouldn’t lie to you, okay?” Her thumb slides over his ring and he nods.

“I’m taking you home.”

“That’s not—”

“—Didn’t you say your car was banged up?” He squeezes her fingers before releasing her hand from his. “And, no offense, but perhaps you need a quiet night at home.” He nods towards Trixie. “No distractions or…high chatty voices.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Yes, of course. Children can be very loud.”

“He’s not wrong,” Chloe says to Dan. She wraps her arm around Trixie. “I know you’re supposed to be with me tonight, but I’m not going to be any fun, Monkey. I’m going to sleep and sleep some more. But tomorrow night, I’m yours, okay?”

Trixie nods, rolling easily with the punches. “Okay! Daddy, can we watch _The Lion King_ and do the dance?”

“Oh, the dance?” Lucifer asks, smiling wide as he looks at Dan. “What dance? Please tell me it’s something you made up. I’d love to watch you flailing about to those insipid songs.”

Dan ignores Lucifer and reaches out for Trixie. “Come on, sweetie. We can pick up a pizza on the way home.”

Trixie hugs her mom around the middle. Chloe leans down to kiss the top of Trixie’s head, smoothing back her hair. It’s interesting watching the juxtaposition of Detective Decker and then  
Chloe Decker, mom to Trixie. She’s so patient and soft with her daughter. Loving. Nothing like the cop who easily sees through the bullshit, gun in hand, voice raised, telling the bad guy to do as she says. It’s odd and Lucifer’s not sure how to understand both sides of her.

The little urchin’s arms wrap around Lucifer now. She looks up at him with wide eyes. “Take care of my mommy, Lucifer.”

He holds his hands back and leans away from her. “Yes, I think I can manage.”

“I’ll check on you later, Chlo.”

And just like that, it’s just the two of them. Lucifer looks over her face, his eyes checking on her exposed arms and hands for any other signs of trauma. But she seems fine. Again, he feels the need to stroke her face, comfort her, but he allows the feeling to roll through him without bending to its will.

The nurse arrives a moment later, her eyes drinking in Lucifer, but he pays her no attention. Chloe signs a few forms, listens to the instructions from the nurse, and then she’s discharged. Lucifer offers his arm to her. “I can walk, you know.”

“Detective…”

She sighs and loops her arm through his.

Lucifer treats her like she might break, so she keeps rolling her eyes at him, but he won’t hear otherwise. He frets over the Corvette and the air rushing past her head as they drive— _“I am fine.”_ —and he worries about taking the freeway, so he takes the much longer backroads. He’s not sure how to take care of a hurt human, but it feels right to be careful. Lucifer parks in front of her new place and once again, he takes her arm. He slips her keys from her hand to unlock the front door.

Chloe walks in ahead of him and Lucifer sees the mess in her home. Boxes everywhere, very little unpacked. He sees a heavy black leather bag with some of Maze’s toys falling out and smirks a little. He hates that they two of them might team up against him, but he’s also amused at the thought of the future problems they might have when Chloe’s anal retentiveness strikes Maze’s laidback, who-gives-a-fuck attitude.

“I think I’m going to take a shower.”

“What about a bath?” Lucifer suggests.

Chloe presses her palms into the countertop. “Are you just trying to get into the bath with me?”

He smirks at her and crosses the room. “For once, no. I thought it’d be more relaxing. I could order in food. Bring you a glass of wine.”

Her eyes narrow. “Why are you taking such good care of me?”

Lucifer feels guilty. It’s a strange emotion, but it’s there, nestled into his chest. He should’ve never made a deal with his dad for Chloe’s life because now He’s toying with her. First a car accident and then what, a piano to the head? A meteorite? But it’s not just the guilt. He’s seen her in the hospital before, hurt before, and Lucifer doesn’t like it. It makes him uneasy. It makes him feel powerless.

Humans are so damn fragile.

But he doesn’t tell her any of that. “Someone ought to. Dan would be miserable at it and Trixie, well, I doubt she’d last on her own for more than a few hours.”

Chloe smiles a little and pushes back from the counter. “You’re right. A bath might be nice.”

“I’m sorry, did you say I was right?”

“Shut up.”

Lucifer reaches for her then, almost against his will, and he finally touches her face. He cups her cheek for the briefest of moments, and then he drops his hand. Her eyes search his, so he looks away. “Shall I start a bath for you?”

“I don’t know how I feel about you taking care of me.”

“I can go…” he offers but doesn’t mean it.

“No. You can stay, just…don’t be too nice, okay? It’ll feel like whiplash all over again when you go back to being my Lucifer.”

His eyebrows raise. _My Lucifer_ , he repeats in his mind.

“So, Thai food for dinner?”

She nods. “Let me get you my credit card, as long as you promise not to buy strippers with it or something.”

“I’m quite capable of buying you dinner, Detective.” He diverts her from her purse, taking her by the shoulders and turning her towards the stairs. “Go. Relax, if you can. I’ll order us a feast.”

Chloe looks at him once more until she does as he says and disappears up the stairs.

Lucifer waits, listening, until he hears the bath running and then he sinks down onto her couch. He presses his hands to his face and worries. If his father is going to be playing this game with Chloe’s life, Lucifer is going to have to send his mother back to Hell. He’ll have no other choice. None of this is Chloe’s fault and he won’t have her losing her life or limb over some celestial squabble that’s been going on for millennia.

He calls in an order for their food, still working on a plan to keep Chloe safe, when he follows her path upstairs. Her new place is unfamiliar, but he finds her room with her clothes thrown across the bed, her boots left on the floor. Lucifer notices the bathroom door is slightly cracked and he doesn’t want to disturb her, but he suddenly wonders if his father might try to drown her in the bathtub.

“Detective?” he asks at the door.

“Yes?”

“Just checking on you.”

He hears the water sloshing around and he can imagine her there and despite the fear he felt earlier, the worry settled inside him, he feels a thrill at the thought of her naked and wet. He imagines what it would be to slide in the tub behind her and hold her. Feel her slippery skin against his and—

“Will you come sit with me?”

Lucifer pushes open the door. The bathroom is dark save for two candles flickering light against her fair skin. Her hair is wet, tangled over her shoulders, and he can see right through the water to drink in every inch of her. She rests her hands across her stomach, one knee bent, the other outstretched. He feels a little caught off-guard by her.

She nods to the toilet. He folds down the lid and sits down beside her. From this angle, she’d have to turn to see him, but he can just look her over to his heart’s content.

“I was scared today,” she admits.

Lucifer turns to the sound of her voice.

“It all happened so fast.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t ever think you’re going to be in an accident and then— _bam_!—you’re hit.”

“Mortal failings,” he tells her.

Chloe laughs softly; he watches her chest rise and fall with it. “Yes, because you’re immune to all that _human_ nonsense.”

“I was.” He crosses one leg over the other and leans back against the toilet tank. “Invulnerable to all human plights. I need very little sleep, very little food. I can go for hours”—she scoffs—“with very little exertion. Most of that is still true, except for the invulnerable part. That’s your doing, of course, but I try not to hold it against you.”

“Why the Lucifer persona?” she asks.

“It’s not a persona, Detective.”

She sighs and for a moment, they’re both quiet. He’s considered showing her his face once or twice before, just so they can stop having these inane conversations, but he worries. What if she takes it badly? Most everyone runs away screaming, which is fine, but he couldn’t handle her reacting in that way. For a brief moment, Lucifer wishes he still had his wings because that side of him—light and divinity—is a much easier pill to swallow.

Chloe turns in the tub, tucking her legs between herself and the wall. She rests her forearms along the lip so she can look at him. She looks up through her lashes. “I won’t keep asking,” she promises, “but will you tell me one thing?”

He could be falling into a dangerous trap, but he agrees with a nod.

“You’re good, right? I mean, I know you are a good person, but we never talked about your motivations and…” Her words hang in the air.

Lucifer sees the question lingering in her eyes. If she’s to believe he is the Devil, that would make him evil to her—to everyone on Earth. Being good is supposed to be his antithesis, but he’s so tired of having to stand up for himself. But for her, he’ll answer any questions she asks. “I’m not bad. My job requires me to punish, but I am not evil because of it.”

She nods and looks away.

“As for my motivations,” her eyes flicker to his, “I like assisting you, Chloe. I enjoy working beside you and that brings me joy. Do you need more than that?”

“No,” she says softly. 

Lucifer isn’t used to carrying a phone, so when the food is delivered—and the delivery person calls—Lucifer doesn’t hear it. The delivery is left outside Chloe’s front door, but neither seem to notice. He holds out a hand to help her from the bath and wraps her in a threadbare towel. “Perhaps now is the time to splurge on some new linens, Detective,” he says against her ear, which makes her smile. 

They walk into her room together and Chloe dries herself, something Lucifer can’t turn away from. She catches his eyes on her but doesn’t say a thing. Chloe dresses in a pair of underwear and a big shirt. Nothing captivating about it, but she’s captivating him. “I think I just need to get into bed,” she tells him, despite the clock only reading 7:42.

“Of course. I’d like to stay the night, just in case those doctors don’t know their arse from their—”

“—Okay.”

Chloe climbs into the bed. Lucifer hovers awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. She settles in, the covers pulled up to her chin. “Well,” he begins, wanting to say something, but unsure if he should stay or go. In the past, he would’ve just made the decision unilaterally, but he can’t do that right now.

“Stay with me?” she asks, her voice small.

“In your bed?”

“We’ve done much worse in this bed than laid next to each other.”

He grins. “You’re not wrong.”

Lucifer unbuttons his jacket and lays it across one of the boxes on the floor, since there’s not really anywhere else to put things yet. He leans down to untie his shoes and he leaves them on the floor. Chloe watches him until he disappears behind her. He climbs into the bed in his Oxford shirt and suit pants and would rather be naked, but that would feel intimate. He’s not sure if that’s what she wants right now.

Chloe rolls onto her back. Lucifer looks at her after he settles.

“If it’s too early for you to go to bed…”

“I’m already in bed, Detective. And quite comfortable, too.”

“Thank you,” she says and he looks to her, “for being there for me today.”

“We’re partners, Detective. No where else I should be.” Her eyes droop as the events of the day probably come rushing back to her. He shifts a little closer. “You should sleep.”

“It’s so early.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “Nonsense. You’re hurt. Sleep with heal.”

Chloe sighs. She rolls onto her side, facing away from him, tucking her hands beneath her head. Lucifer faces her back, the back of her neck, her tangled wet hair. He wants so much to lean in and kiss her warm skin, touch her and make sure she’s real. Chloe must feel the same because she shifts in the bed and slides closer to him.

Lucifer chances it and wraps his hand around her hip, feeling the edge of her unremarkable panties and her warm skin. She seems to relax against his touch, so he slides the hand to her stomach and he moves until he’s right behind her.

Chloe presses back, settles in against him and releases a sigh.

He just holds her, feels her against him and it’s strange how sex isn’t the first thing on his mind. It’s certainly there, rolling around, but he just wants to be whatever she needs.

Time ticks by slowly and Lucifer wonders if she’s asleep. He doesn’t check, for fear of waking her. He considers when he became someone who would cuddle someone but without sex. _Right now_ , he thinks. Until now, he’s never been someone to do something selflessly, but she needs him and—if he’s honest—he needs her right now, too. Needs to feel her breathing against him, because if she gets hurt, or dies, he’s not sure what he’ll do.

Chloe’s hips shift against him and he wonders if she’s awake. He gently slides his hand along her skin, as if to remind her he’s still here.

She rocks her hips back and suddenly— _oh_.

Chloe’s head leans into his shoulder and he can see her features in the low light. Her face turns to him, her lips close to his. “Detective…” he whispers.

Her hand wraps around his wrist and she guides his hand lower, between her legs. She’s warm and wet and he doesn’t need any other invitation to slide his fingers along her slit. Lucifer leans in to kiss her neck, pushing her still damp hair out of the way. He sinks one of his fingers inside her as she continues to rub her arse against him, affectively turning him on. His lips trail kisses over her skin and up her jaw. 

“Are you sure?” he whispers into her ear.

Chloe’s hips move against his touch. “Yes.”

Lucifer uses both his hands to slip her panties from her and she kicks her legs so they disappear somewhere in her sheets. Her hand reaches back to cup him. He open-mouth kisses along her shoulder, the small bit of skin not covered by her shirt. “Take this off,” he murmurs, tugging at the fabric. Chloe sits up enough to remove her shirt. Lucifer reaches down to unzip his pants to free himself.

She leans back into him, lifting her right leg enough for him to slide between her thighs. He holds himself in one hand, his other pressed to her diaphragm, as he sinks into her. They both make a sound. 

Chloe tips her head back again, her lips parted as he moves. She lays her hand over the one just below her breasts and with her other she reaches back and holds his hip, guiding him in and out of her. His lips stay hovered over her neck, breathing against her skin. Her mouth seeks his out and he kisses her full and giving, his tongue sweeping over hers, his body responding to her like a man drinking water after being lost in the desert for a month.

Lucifer fucks her slow, drawing out each moment and her body responds in kind. She rocks against him, pushes against him, and moans for him. He holds her tightly, feeling the pleasure of her, of this moment, all through his body. “Chloe,” he moans against her skin and he feels her tightening, winding up like a top ready to spin out. She takes his hand and places it between her thighs again and he rubs her clit rhythmically. She arches and moves, completely unabashed as she wraps herself in her desire, and then she moans and comes undone.

He feels her orgasm and it’s unimaginable how much he enjoys giving her those few moments of bliss. He thrusts up into her, picking up his pace just enough to cause the friction he needs. She urges him through shallow breaths, “Come for me, Lucifer,” she moans and it’s all he needs. He rests his forehead against her shoulder, releasing himself, giving himself over to her.

“Are you okay?” he asks her after a few moments.

“Better now.”

Lucifer kisses her shoulder. She shifts and he slides out of her. He watches her head towards the bathroom and he remembers her doing the same and then leaving their first time together. But this time, she returns and climbs back into the bed with him. “Why are you still dressed?” she asks as she begins to unbutton his shirt. He watches her undress him. He cleans himself with a tissue and they retake their positions with her in his arms, her back to his chest.

It’s not even 9 p.m., but Lucifer could fall asleep just like this.

He presses a few kisses to her skin. He can’t help it. He wants to say something to her, but doesn’t know what, so he’s quiet. She’s quiet. His mind wanders to the last few weeks with her, from their first time until now. Lucifer isn’t sure what any of it means, but they’re obviously drawn to one another. He desires her body, of course, but it’s more than that. It feels bigger because otherwise, he’d find others to fuck. He has fucked others since last time, but it was different. Lesser, maybe.

Chloe sighs and he knows she’s still awake for a moment longer. In the dark, where he can hide his expression and so can she, he knows he can ask one thing and perhaps she’ll be honest. “Detective?”

“Hm?”

“Do you remember the other night, when you told me not to call you darling?”

She tenses and if he weren’t holding her, he probably wouldn’t even have noticed.

But she doesn’t respond.

He thinks about dropping it, but he can’t. “You said I couldn’t call you darling because you weren’t mine. Do you want to be mine?”

She’s quite for so long he thinks she might be asleep. But then she moves her legs and he realizes she’s just not going to answer at all. Until eventually, she tells him, “No. It was…I just said something dumb when I was drunk.”

Lucifer doesn’t push her on the subject, but he wonders if she’s at least partially lying.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer closes himself off after killing Uriel (2x06 "Monster") and Chloe finds some closure after arresting her father's killer (2x07 "My Little Monkey"). One of them begins to see their relationship for what it really might be.

Chloe watches scores of people leaving Lux in a tight group and she hears one woman complain, “He’s such a fucking psycho. Like, we’re the ones that keep that place open.”

When Chloe reaches the doors, Hank hesitates. “He asked everyone to leave.”

“I could flash my badge,” she says as a half-assed threat. Hank still hesitates. “Look, if he wants me gone, I’ll go. I just…something’s wrong.”

A beat passes and Hank holds the door open for her. Chloe gives him a brief smile.

Inside, Lux is quiet, eerily so. Chloe crosses to the railing overlooking the club and she sees Lucifer sitting there, slumped over the keys, but not playing his piano. A glass of whiskey waits on him, but he doesn’t move. Chloe sighs softly, not even recognizing him in the last few days. Something’s happened. Someone or some event hurt him and he’s not himself. Chloe just wants her partner back.

She walks down the steps and approaches behind him. She wants to let him know she’s there, like you might a wounded animal in the forest, so she clears her throat.

His shoulders tense. “I told everyone to leave.”

“I know.”

Lucifer turns on the piano bench. His eyes are wide, red-rimmed, and bloodshot. He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. “Detective,” he says, a bit tighter than usual. “You shouldn’t be here.” He turns away from her.

“I thought…I don’t like seeing you like this.”

He laughs, but it sounds bitter. “It’s what I deserve.”

“What does that mean?”

Lucifer says nothing. He lifts his whiskey to his lips and takes a long sip, nearly finishing the contents in the glass. He seems…broken. Irrevocably hurt. Chloe walks over and sits down beside him. She places her hand over his as his hands return to the keys. “You can talk to me, you know. I would never judge you.”

“Never say never, Detective.”

He pulls his hand from her touch. “What can I do to help?”

He looks at her and she can practically see the pain radiating off his body. Whatever happened, he believes it’s his fault. He feels responsible and guilty. Chloe understands those emotions and knows what it’s like to mess up a situation. When Lucifer says nothing, she tries to comfort him. “Whatever happened, you’re a good person. You didn’t mean it.”

Lucifer blinks slowly, reaching for his whiskey again. “You’re wrong, Detective.”

“Okay, so you meant it. But you have to deal with that. Drinking and partying and picking up girls at a crime scene isn’t the way, Lucifer.” She remembers Lucifer sticking his tongue down the zombie bridesmaid’s throat, which wasn’t how she wanted to start her day.

“Jealous?” he hisses like a snake.

Chloe looks at him. She feels a stroke of anger. “I’m not jealous.”

“Sure you aren’t.”

“I came here to help you,” she reminds him. “If you don’t want it—”

“—I don’t.”

Chloe stands up from the bench and turns. She’s mad at herself because he made himself perfectly clear earlier, but she thought with a little coaxing, he’d give in and express a single feeling. But he won’t.

She hears the piano bench scratching against the reflective floor. “We both know why you came here. Why do you think you keep finding yourself where I am, Detective? You only want one thing from me,” he says as he approaches her and she thinks she detects pain in his voice. But she couldn’t’ve because Lucifer does sex only.

“I didn’t come here to have sex with you.”

“But you thought about it.” He reaches her, standing practically against her.

“Fine, yes, I thought about it.”

Lucifer grins, but it all feels wrong. “So, do you admit to being jealous of the women I’ve had lately? There’s been quite a few.”

Chloe isn’t jealous, but she’s a bit mad. “What happened to ‘why drink two-buck chuck when you can have some fancy wine?’” she asks, spit-balling his words from one of their previous times together. 

“Wine is wine, _darling_ ,” he practically throws into her face.

She takes a step back. “This isn’t you.”

“But it is me. Always has been. Just because you’ve been blinded by—”

“—You don’t lie and you _know_ this isn’t how you normally are with me. I don’t care about someone else, but with me, you…you said you respected me. Throwing shit back into my face. How is that respect?”

Lucifer leans closer to her and for a moment, she thinks how they could both shut up and fall into bed together, but she knows she’ll regret it. Lucifer leans back, seemingly realizing the same. “You should go, Detective. I’m not very good company today.”

He blows past her to the bar, pouring himself a drink, draining it, and pouring another. She watches him, aching to comfort him like he did the other night for her, but he’s like a live wire and she’s afraid to make things worse. She hovers at the bottom of the stairs. She sighs softly and says to him, “You might not be perfect, Lucifer, but you’re good. You try and that’s more…a lot of people don’t even try. And to me…I can count on you. Please don’t take that away from me.”

Chloe doesn’t wait for a response. She leaves Lucifer to his thoughts.

* * *

Days pass and they don’t talk and it feels wrong. Chloe calls Linda, who doesn’t answer any of her messages. Maze won’t talk to Chloe about anything having to do with Lucifer. She even considers trying to consult with Amenadiel, but the only way she knows to get in contact with him—besides maybe Maze—is Lucifer himself. So, Chloe stays away. 

She can’t stop thinking about him. Worrying, mostly, but when she lays down at night, a whole other host of thoughts fill her mind. They’ve had sex three times now, each time different than the last, but the last time, the night of her accident, felt…weighted. She was hurt, sure, and he was caring for her with kid gloves on, but she felt something different. It felt like…and she hates herself for categorizing it, but…can people who aren’t in love _make love_? Because _that’s_ what it felt like. Something so deep and meaningful, where no words are needed. Perhaps it was a fluke. It feels like a fluke. Perhaps they’ll never have sex again. But that last time marked a change.

Perhaps.

* * *

Chloe waits by the police vehicle as they take Deputy Warden Smith in for booking. Dan and Lucifer both hover but for a moment, she just stares into the eyes of the man who had her father killed. She hates him. Despises what he took from her, from Trixie. She hopes to never see his face again except in an obituary one day, where his crimes will probably be ignored, but Chloe will know. 

“All set,” Officer Klein says. “You riding in with us?”

She shakes her head and steps back. “No. It’s not my case.”

“I’m on it,” Dan says, squeezing Chloe’s shoulder as he passes. “You good?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Dan pauses and when she looks at him, he and Lucifer seem to be having a silent conversation. It’d be irritating to her—after watching Lucifer pretend to _be_ Dan all day—but she feels too much relief to feel anything else.

The slew of police cars begins pulling away one by one until it’s just Chloe and Lucifer. He stands behind her silently, for once, and when she turns to him, he simply waits. Waits for to do whatever she wants after the days she’s had. She steps up the sidewalk to stand beside him. She only wants one thing. Chloe holds him by his jaw as she kisses him. Between his pain last week and hers this, there’s been a disconnect between them and she needs to be connected to him again. Lucifer removes his hands from inside his pockets to hold her and then eventually lift her, carrying her into her apartment.

He undresses her. They stand in the middle of her living room as he pushes the blazer from her shoulders, just as she removes his jacket. She runs her hands down his chest, trying to focus on his buttons before he can remove her shirt. Which he does and then he kisses along her collarbones, sliding his hands behind her to remove her bra. Chloe’s stomach turns with excitement, lust, as she begins to unbutton her jeans.

Lucifer sits on the couch before her and he helps her pull off her tight pants. He peels her underwear from her body. And he leans in to kiss each of her hip bones. He holds her by her waist, looking up at her as his tongue teases just north of her small patch of pubic hair. “Allow me, Detective,” he says before leaning in and spreading her with his tongue.

Chole holds onto the back of his head as he expertly tastes her. He already knows exactly what she likes, so she feels woozy within a few moments. His tongue delves inside her, fucking her in a way that makes her toes curl. All the stress from the last few days beginning to disappear. He rolls his tongue up and over her clit and he pauses there so his two fingers can slide up inside her. “Lucifer,” she moans and sees him watching her. She rolls her hips against his tongue and fingers.

Lucifer pulls away and she whimpers, before he lifts her up and deposits her on the couch. She spreads her legs for him and he dives back in, his mouth devouring her. Chloe arches up against the couch cushions, pressing her one foot into the arm of the couch, while the other rests on Lucifer’s shoulder. He holds her ankle, his thumb sliding over her skin, as he makes a moaning noise between her legs. She rocks her hips up again to meet his ministrations.

He holds her down, his hand firm on her stomach and she lays her hand over his, lacing his fingers with hers. The only sound is from her labored breathing and him lapping at her and she concentrates on the feeling. The giving and taking, until she’s coming, her knees pressed to his ears, her body shaking beneath him.

Lucifer kisses up her body, his hands trailing along her sides and up her ribs. She laughs a little. “I’m ticklish,” she tells him.

“The things I still have to learn about you, Detective.”

She wraps her arms around his neck. “I still have my secrets.”

“Clearly.” 

Chloe sits up enough so they’re nose-to-nose. She wraps her arms back around his neck, anchoring herself to him. “Take me upstairs.”

His mouth quirks and he reaches down to easily lift her up and into his arms.

* * *

Chloe stretches her legs out along her mattress and tucks her head against her folded arm. She searches for a warm spot for her feet and ends up sneaking them beneath Lucifer’s right thigh. Almost reflexively, he reaches out and wraps his hand around her calf, running his warm palm up and down her leg. His touch is comforting, something she’s grown accustom to, but after the last few weeks, she wasn’t sure she’d feel his touch again.

Her body feels achy. She should’ve been asleep hours ago, but now it’s 3:43 a.m. and they’ve worked on exhausting each other all night. But despite the marathon, Chloe isn’t tired. 

Lucifer leans into her headboard and tips his head back with his eyes closed.

Every movement of his body is done with ease. It’s…intoxicating just to watch him.

“We can go to sleep,” she offers.

His hand squeezes her. “No. I’m fine. I was just thinking.”

“About what?” she asks, which feels completely normal until she remembers _this is Lucifer_. He’s shrouded in secrets and mystery. Whatever he’s thinking is probably something he’ll give a metaphor for, or he’ll deny an answer altogether. Normally, Chloe would right her own wrong. Offer a quick ‘never mind,’ but instead she waits. 

Lucifer sighs softly and she watches the rise and fall of his chest. “I did something…” he says vaguely, but she can see he’s struggling.

Chloe sits up and slides closer to him. Her hip to his thigh. She tucks her legs to her side and offers her touch, touching along his ribs, holding him. “You don’t have to.” 

He looks at her. His eyes are hard, distant, but then they soften. He offers a small smile just for her, a reassurance. “I will spare you the details, but it was rather…traumatizing. I’m having a hard time reconciling with what I did.”

“Did you have a good reason?”

“Yes.” Lucifer reaches out to push the hair from her shoulder. He leans in and kisses her there and it’s strange, as if he’s trying to prove something. “The very best reason,” he tells her low, almost a whisper. 

Chloe is dying to know. She wants to know everything he’s hiding, but he’s skittish when she pries, so she doesn’t. She understands what it feels like to have a secret split you open. Her father’s death wasn’t a secret, of course, but her pain fifteen years later was new to Lucifer and she’s felt raw around him for days. But she wanted him to know. It feels better that he knows.

She still feels uneasy though after visiting him at Lux last week. How short he was with her, how angry. “Can I just ask you one thing about it?”

He nods. “I can’t guarantee I’ll answer, since I don’t—”

“—Lie, I know.” She gathers some strength. “Will you do it again?” He tilts his head in response, almost trying to read her. “Will you treat me like you did at Lux? I don’t…I know you were hurting, Lucifer, but…I need to prepare myself if you’re going to snap at me next time something bad happens.”

Lucifer leans forward a bit, capturing her cheek in his hand just long enough to say, “No. I’m sorry for punishing you. It wasn’t you fault, but mine.”

“That’s a pretty good apology from someone who doesn’t apologize often.”

He smirks a little, dropping his hand. “Why apologize when I hardly do anything wrong?”

Chloe laughs.

He leans back against the headboard again. Chloe shifts, preparing to lie back again, but Lucifer’s hand reaches out and stops her.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

Lucifer slides her back, half-covering her with his body, which makes her laugh. She wraps her arms around him, her legs tangled in the sheets. He leans in to kiss her slowly. She loses herself in kissing him for a moment before pulling back, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the one who’s gone through an ordeal.”

“I’m better now.”

“Because of all the sex?” he asks, his lips peppering kisses like whispers over her shoulder.

Chloe laughs again. “Yes, only the sex. Not because we caught my father’s killer.”

He chuckles across her skin. “I didn’t mean to minimize.”

“No, you meant to deflect.”

Lucifer groans and lies back against the bed. “You sound like Doctor Linda.” 

She follows him, leaning over him now. “What happened with Linda? You said something changed? Did you tell her about this thing you did?”

Chloe doesn’t expect an answer, because this is Lucifer she’s talking about, but he surprises her in saying, “Yes, among other things. She…saw a different side of me,” he says wryly. “She didn’t like what she saw.”

“Is that the side you won’t show me?”

He turns to her and nods. “You might react similarly to the doctor. If I still had my bloody wings, maybe you wouldn’t run for the hills. But…I couldn’t stand it if you…” he cuts himself off.

“If I, what?”

“Looked at me differently.”

Chloe rests her cheek against his chest. She looks towards her closet. There’s so much unsaid, so much she should say to him, but she feels like she’s on the precipice of a cliff and if she says the wrong thing, he’ll be packing up and heading for those same hills. But she can’t deny that the nights spent with Lucifer are often her favorite nights. The ones she feels the most comforted. The ones she feels a tumbling in her stomach that reminds her she’s not just a cop and a mother. Not just a divorcee. She’s desirable. He makes her feel good in all the right ways.

Lucifers fingers stroke along her hair and it’s a tender gesture. Touching just to touch and she wonders if she’s not alone in feeling something building.

He’s offered her a touch of vulnerability again—fear of losing her—so she should do the same. He’s her partner. Tit for tat, as he might say with an amused smirk.

“I didn’t plan for any of this when I walked into your penthouse,” she admits. His chest rumbles with either a confirmation noise or a small laugh. She closes her eyes. “I just thought…I wanted to have sex with you.”

“The feeling was mutual, Detective.”

“Yes, somehow I knew that.”

“Was I not subtle?” he teases.

Chloe opens her eyes and looks up at him. “You’re not really known for your subtly.” He grins at her. She looks away before she forgets what she wants to say. “I don’t know what we’re doing here, Lucifer. I don’t think I need to know right now, but I want you to know it’s not just the sex for me. Being your partner, and then adding this, I just feel…happy.”

For a moment, she waits on him. On something that validates that he, too, finds some kind of joy with her. And then she feels him stiffen beneath her. She looks up at him.

Lucifer doesn’t meet her eyes for a beat too long and she realizes her mistake.

He can’t handle any kind of emotion. Even admitting she was vulnerable around him those weeks ago almost ruined everything and now this… He’s going to leave. There’s not way he’ll be able to—

“I enjoy spending extracurricular time with you, Detective.”

It’s practically clinical, but it’s something. She laughs to break up the tension. “You really know how to lay it on thick.”

His mouth twitches up. “I’m working on it.”

“With Linda.”

“When she’ll have me again, yes.”

“You won’t stop going to therapy?”

Lucifer shakes his head, his mouth set in a straight line. “I enjoy therapy.”

“You seem to ‘enjoy’ a few things lately.”

“You, Detective, I _enjoy_ a bit more than therapy.” His palm is now flat against her lower back and Chloe realizes they’re not just cuddling because she’s had a car accident or because there might be more sex. They’re cuddling just because it feels nice. Lucifer leans down to kiss the top of her head. She’s a little stunned by it and turns her face up to him. She expects something—a kiss or some flirty comment—but instead he says, “I should go.”

“Go? It’s 4 a.m.”

Lucifer nods and she feels the barrier he’s erecting between them. Her moment of weakness, telling him how she feels, is now proving that it comes with consequences. She sits up to allow him to slide from her bed. Just when she thought they were holding one another and it might mean something… She looks away from him as he redresses.

“Did I say something?” she asks, feeling insecure.

He laughs, as if she’s trying to make him laugh. “No. Of course not.” As he buttons his shirt, he turns to her and leans in for a kiss. It’s weakness when she offers him her mouth. “You have responsibilities, Detective, and I wouldn’t want to keep you from more sleep.”

_You could sleep here with me_ , she wants to offer, like the night of her accident, but maybe that was a fluke. She says nothing.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says and it sounds hopeful and Chloe feels like she’s being slingshot back and forth.

“Lucifer…”

“Yes, Detective?” he asks in her doorway, turning to her. 

He’s never promised her a thing. He’s not committed himself to her. He’s…a playboy. Sexually prolific. His door is always revolving with another woman and sure, they seem to work well together as partners in bed and on a crime scene, but thinking Lucifer wants more from her than just this is…well, idiotic. Chloe swallows down whatever she’s feeling and she smile slightly. “Nothing. Never mind.”

Lucifer’s eyes shift to her chest, which she doesn’t bother to cover. “Mm, you’re certainly tempting me again, Detective, but…duty calls.”

“Duty?”

“Celestial nonsense. Nothing you’d believe. Sleep well, Chloe,” he says warmly before leaving and she feels even more confused by him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During 2x09 ("Homewrecker") Lucifer wants to thank Chloe for giving him one last night in Lux and their first date together ends a little differently this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you fine people! This will be the first chapter the really diverts from the show and it'll start setting up where I'm really going to divert from the show. I'm glad you're all enjoying. Your comments make my day, so thank you! Just so you know, this story won't be crazy long. Maybe 10 chapters in total. Once I know, you'll know.

“Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash pulses through the speakers as Lucifer takes Chloe on a turnabout the dance floor. She laughs against his ear and he’s feeling the need for a moment alone with her, to thank her.

“Take me somewhere,” she says over the din of the music and he feels a rush, like ones in the past, at the idea that they were both thinking the same thing.

Lucifer wants to kiss her, but he knows Dr. Linda is around and his mother and now’s not the time to answer any of their questions. He looks down into her sparkling eyes, taking in her wide smile, and he knows exactly where he wants her. His hand slips down to her arse, hoping the throngs of people keep his gesture hidden, and he whispers in her ear, “Follow me.”

He wants to take her hand and run up the stairs, but he doesn’t. He can’t. He pauses at the top of the steps and Chloe’s there, flushed, something akin to excitement in her eyes. They walk down the hallway together to the elevator and he presses the up button. The elevator opens immediately and once Chloe is securely behind the doors, Lucifer waits just a few moments before he pulls the emergency stop. He turns to her and she’s right there.

“We don’t have much time. If the elevator’s stopped for too long, the fire department is called.”

She reaches for his zipper. “Do you know that from experience?”

Lucifer leans in. “Would you like me to lie?”

“No. Never lie to me.”

He nods earnestly before capturing her lips.

While he kisses her, he works on her jeans, unzipping her as she does to him. She’s pulled him through his zipper and with her hands on him, he can barely think. “Detective…” he groans against her lips and she smiles. She kisses him deeply, quieting him. The buzzing of the elevator is loud and intrusive, but it makes him work faster, quickly pushing her jeans and panties down her hips and then leaning her against one of the walls.

Lucifer’s lips trail down her throat, nipping and sucking on her skin. His fingers work between her legs, feeling her wetness. “You have a camera in here,” she says against his ear, but she doesn’t pull away from him.

“Hm, for security purposes,” he says against her skin. “Only I can watch the tapes.”

“You’re going to re-watch this?”

He leans back to look at her and she’s not repulsed. “I had thought about it, yes.”

“Would it be not so vanilla of me if I said I _liked_ the idea of you watching us?”

Lucifer twitches in her palm. “Yes, Detective, I’d even call that a little wicked of you.”

She runs her hand up his shirt, feeling along his stomach, leaning towards him. “It’s your fault. I was never like this before. You made me like this.”

“I disagree, Detective. I simply drew on what you already had.” He pulls her quickly against him, her chest to his, their clothes still covering everything except for the best bits, and Lucifer isn’t sure he’s ever been more turned on. His lips hover over hers. “Turn around.”

Chloe releases a shaky breath and turns to face the wall. Lucifer steps behind her, angling himself against her. He drags his head along her. She reaches back and manages to grip a handful of his suit. Lucifer typically cares about his suits maintaining themselves during sex, but he can’t even think right now he wants her so badly. She’s giving him one last night in his home and he doesn’t know how to thank her, but he’ll start with an orgasm.

Lucifer sinks inside her warmth and she envelops him. She’s familiar now, something Lucifer never thought he’d want, but he doesn’t see himself tiring when the rush he feels possesses him every time he’s in her presence.

He leans forward and kisses the back of her neck, where her hair is tied up messily. He loves that it started with the damn skirt, but he never needed that from her. Everything about her is sexy, especially the way she responds to him. She turns her head, leaning to the side and whispering, “Kiss me,” which he gladly does. Lucifer plunges his tongue against hers, and she moans against his tongue.

Lucifer thrusts in and out of her, wanting it to last forever, but the buzzing makes him move quickly. He cups the apex between her thighs and rubs her clit with intention. She gasps and pulls her lips from his, leaning forward to rest her forehead to his chin. “Chloe,” he moans for her, just so she knows that he feels the same. He’s just as affected.

“Harder,” she asks of him. He doesn’t hesitate.

They’re two bodies moving in desperation. The heat of the club, her generosity, her understanding _him_ wraps around them and he pours everything he wants to say into this one moment. She’s undone under him, her thighs pressing together to trap his hand as she comes. He keeps moving, focusing on the feeling of her, her short breaths of exertion, of need. He leans his forehead to press into the middle of her clothed back, feeling near to her even with all the layers. And when he comes, he moans against her neck. She reaches back, hooking her hand behind his head, threading her fingers through his hair.

Lucifer feels dizzy. She turns after he pulls out from her and she’s so flushed, her lips still open, panting a bit. He tucks himself away as she pulls up her pants. He steps back into her space and kisses her, long and lingering. She cups his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks. 

For a moment, he feels something blooming inside him. He can’t explain it. What was once a rush feels slow now, like molasses, reaching into all corners inside his body. It’s like her hand  
reaching inside him, holding him gently. He pulls back and he looks at her, his forehead to hers. The elevator is quiet save for the damn buzzing, but he tunes it out, because right now, he can only hear her. “Chloe,” he says gently.

Her arms wrap around him. “Lucifer.”

He can taste words on the tip of his tongue, _thanks_ and _I owe you_ and _you understand me_ , but he lets himself think them for a moment longer because he needs time to properly express how much she’s touched him in this one act. For now, he caresses her cheek and says, “We should go back to the party, especially if it’s my very last one here. Will you stay?”

She nods. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.” Chloe reaches forward to adjust his suit jacket and his shirt. “Ready?”

“Mm, yes.”

Lucifer restarts the elevator and first they ride to his penthouse. Chloe cuddles in next to him for a moment as he presses the button for Lux. He sneaks a kiss right before the elevator doors open, but when they do, Lucifer notices Linda standing along the bannister looking down into Lux, but her eyes aren’t on the party, but on Lucifer and Chloe as they step out of the elevator.

* * *

Chloe’s excused herself in a flush, claiming she needs a drink, but he knows she’s still wrapped up in her case and probably won’t have a drop to drink.

Lucifer stands beside Dr. Linda because there’s no point ignoring what she saw.

“How long?” Linda asks.

“A few months. Around the time I was shot protecting her from Malcolm Graham.”

“The dirty cop that Dan shot?” Linda asks, always remembering even the smallest details.

Lucifer nods. He watches Chloe turn away from the bar. Her eyes dart up to his for a moment and she smiles a little, either to tease him or to reassure him, but he likes that it’s a bit of a mystery. “She came over one evening and it just made sense.”

“What made sense?”

“Sleeping with her. We’re two very attractive people and—”

“—No. I want a real answer, Lucifer. Why did it make sense to finally have sex with Chloe?”

He looks at her, briefly, and she’s serious. As serious as she is in their sessions. But this isn’t a session. This is a party. A sit in. The last night in Lux. He stands tall and adjusts his suit sleeves. “I’m not paying you right now, Doctor, so perhaps we should just enjoy the party.”

Linda reaches out and tentatively lays a hand on his forearm. “Just…give me one minute.” She stops touching him, which he appreciates. “You and Chloe clearly just had sex either in your elevator or in your penthouse. You were smiling at each other like a couple smitten. Right now, you’re vulnerable and I think this might be the only time you’re honest about how you feel about Chloe. So, please, if you’re not going to say it to me, say it to her.”

He looks out again and he sees her shaking her head to some man. For a moment, he’s enflamed. Another man showing her interest…no. He pauses, waiting and the man leaves. Chloe returns to her own company and seems content.

_She doesn’t want anyone else._

Lucifer looks to Linda. “I don’t…I’m unsure…”

“It’s scary, Lucifer. Giving your affections over to someone. But Chloe, I can’t speak for her feelings towards you, but she’d never purposely hurt you, just as I’m sure you’d never purposely hurt her.”

“I wouldn’t.”

She nods. “Maybe not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow night, if you’re not ready. But tell someone. Once you say it, it’ll be easier to say it again and again.”

Lucifer doesn’t know what he feels. He’s never felt anything like this before. At first, he was amused by her, intrigued why she wasn’t charmed by him. It was a game at first to figure her out, but as soon as she kissed him, something changed. It could’ve changed before that and he just didn’t notice, but he has changed. 

He looks at Linda again, grins at her. “I’m not sure tonight, but I believe you’re right, Doctor. Thank you.”

“Go, be with her. I’m good here.”

Lucifer squeezes her arm and rushes down the stairs to spend his evening with Chloe.

* * *

Chloe stands from the table just as Lucifer rushes towards her.

“Chloe,” he says and she looks at him, wide-eyed.

“You’re here.”

_I’m here._

_You want me to order you anything?_

_Where are you?_

_Are you ok?_

_Fine, I’m heading home._

Lucifer stops in his tracks as he looks her over. Her hair pulled back, allowing him to observe her strong jaw, the heavy sweater paired with the short skirt and heels. “Radiant, Detective,” he says before even an apology because he’s so struck by her. She looks so hurt and he wants to grovel for his foolishness, but he feels eyes on them as they stand in the middle of the room. She’s spent two hours here alone and he wants to end her embarrassment.

“I’d like to explain, but perhaps we should sit—”

“—I don’t want dinner, Lucifer.”

He nods and feels a wave of…guilt? “Would you…will you go somewhere else with me?”

“I don’t really feel like sex, either.”

“It’s not…No, Chloe, just somewhere we could talk.”

She looks at him softly, as if he’s said the magic word. He can see her reluctance and he wants to assure her he’s here for her, but it’ll be hard to believe after the last few hours. 

“Please,” he manages.

Chloe ends up nodding, but says nothing as she passes him and leaves the restaurant. He trails behind her like a disobedient puppy and he can’t find a more apt descriptor. He messed up. He spooked himself. He needs Linda in his ear reminding him that Chloe wouldn’t purposefully hurt him, but even if she doesn’t mean it, she still could. _Humans and their tender little hearts…it’s all rubbish_. But Lucifer thinks he might understand because his heart hasn’t stopped racing for her since the beginning and that must mean something.

They walk out into the damp evening and Chloe abruptly stops. Lucifer nearly runs into her.

“What now?” she asks, clipped, angry.

Lucifer slides his hands into his pockets. He hadn’t planned for this moment, but now, she expects one. He feels a little helpless because this is already more complicated than he’d expected. “Well, we could…” he says as a placeholder while he thinks.

“Lucifer,” she says, exasperated. “I think we should just not do this tonight. Clearly, something was more important and you didn’t want to answer my texts. Or maybe you had someone else lined up for the night, but—”

“—No, Detective. There isn’t anyone else.”

Chloe shakes her head. “It’s hard to believe that when that’s how you’ve lived your entire life.” She presses her thumb and forefinger between her brows, as if he’s giving her a headache. He says nothing because he doesn’t seem to be making it better. “Look, I…I was excited for tonight. I thought, maybe, but…I was wrong and it’s my fault to think you’d care about this as much as I did.” Lucifer opens his mouth, but she cuts him off. “I’m going to go home and I think you should just do whatever you were doing that was more important.”

“Detective,” he says after she turns.

She stops by her car and he feels a stroke of hope, but as she turns back, she doesn’t look inviting, but even more annoyed. A man comes out of nowhere, holding up keys. “Right, valet,” she says, but not to Lucifer. She laughs awkwardly as the valet promises to pull her car around.

Chloe steps back onto the sidewalk but remains a distance from him. Lucifer has but moments or this whole night will be ruined. He’s never had to say anything of consequence to a woman before and now, he needs the perfect thing to express that he wants her to stay. He wants her to give him another chance. But how can he—and then he realizes it’s not so complicated.

Lucifer takes a step closer and he sees her tense. He hates that he’s making her feel this way. “Stay with me,” he says, a little more desperate than he’d planned for. She looks at him. A glance, at first, and then fully looks at him. “I’d like to explain, Chloe. I wasn’t with anyone else.”

The valet pulls her car around. She’s still looking at him and then she turns away. Chloe steps down to her car. “Thank you,” she says to the valet. “He’ll tip you.”

Lucifer feels a bit of the tightness in his chest lessen. 

“Tip the man and get in,” she says, a hint of a smile.

He grins at her and tips the man $100.

* * *

Chloe steps into the sand first, dropping her heels right at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair, despite being tied up, still has pieces falling along her ears, which the wind picks up and swirls around her head. Lucifer keeps his shoes on and the two of them head away from the pavilion lights and towards the inky water.

They said little in the car. Lucifer didn’t know what to say and he assumed Chloe was waiting for him to speak first. He still doesn’t know what to say, but he must say something.

They reach the water and Lucifer stands back as Chloe dips her toes in the Pacific. She stands there, her back to him, for a long moment and he wants to walk up behind her and wrap her in his arms. _Is that intimacy? Is it love?_ She turns to him, her face slightly illuminated by the lamps all the way down the beach. Her nose is a little red from the chill in the air, but she doesn’t complain. 

Lucifer walks down the slight incline towards her. He stops when they’re about a foot apart. She has to tip her face up to look at him. “I’m sorry,” he says. A start.

“For what?”

She’s not going to make this easy, as she shouldn’t. “For not showing up. For ignoring your messages.”

“So you were ignoring me?” she laughs humorlessly and turns to begin walking further down the beach.

Lucifer jogs to keep up with her furious stomps. “Yes, but not because I didn’t want to have dinner with you, Detective.” He reaches for her arm, gently stopping her, which she surprisingly allows. She looks at him with a huff. “I was thinking.”

“Thinking?” she asks incredulously. “You stood me up to think?”

“Yes.”

Chloe continues down the beach again and Lucifer has to reach her and then match her pace, which he does all thanks to being tall with long legs. She walks suspiciously fast, but he doesn’t fall behind. “I’ve never done this,” he admits. “Sex is what I know, but anything further is a mystery, Detective. So I was thinking.”

She stops and he steps back a few paces to stand before her. “Why not just come to dinner and tell me that? I sat in that restaurant for two hours waiting for you. I was worried something had happened.” She looks like she’s done yelling at him, until she begins again. “I feel like a tennis ball being volleyed back and forth. One moment, you’re here, present and I know I’m important to you but then the next, you’re off thinking or leaving me in bed at four a.m. to do god knows what?”

“He knows a lot less than you think.”

“And then you say shit like that! I can’t keep up, Lucifer. I don’t know what we’re doing here.”

He feels like a fool. How could he ever think he could be anyone more than a bed warmer? He’s not even sure if this was a _date_ date. He’d proposed dinner, but then his thoughts ran away with him and he realized dinner, a bottle of wine, laughing together felt like a date. But he’s never dated anyone in earnest. He’s good at the physical, but the rest of it is challenging, especially trying to sus out if she even _wants_ more.

But based on the way she’s stomping away again, Lucifer knows he’s made a mistake.

He runs now ahead of her and stops her with two gentle hands on her shoulders. “I’m trying.”

Chloe sighs, crossing her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t _feel_ like you’re trying.”

“Give me time.”

“I don’t know.”

“A week,” he offers. 

“How will a week change anything?”

“I don’t know,” he says honestly. “I’m on a limb here.”

Chloe’s face breaks into a slight smile. She looks down at the sand beneath their feet. The wind kicks up and she shivers a little. Lucifer wants to offer her his warmth, but he knows she won’t take anything he offers at the moment. Instead, he suggests, “We should go back. We could stop by one of those disgusting fast-food establishments on the way home and—”

“—We’re not going home together.”

“I wasn’t suggesting…”

Chloe listens to at least part of his suggestion and the two of them walk back towards her car. Lucifer gives her some space because it seems like everything he says is wrong. She’s rightfully angry, but he had no idea she was angry because he left her that night—or, rather early that morning. He wonders what other transgressions he’s made, but they were just having sex. He didn’t know…but then he remembers the night of her accident. How it was so different that night and he thinks _no, it wasn’t always just sex_.

At the steps, Chloe picks up her heels. Lucifer wonders if she’ll leave without him.

At the car, she stops and faces him. “You’ve never done this,” she says evenly.

He assumes she means dating, or whatever word someone might apply, so he nods.

“You’ve never taken someone on dates. Remained with one person?”

Lucifer wants to laugh, since the idea is ridiculous, but also, that is what he’s trying to do right now. It’s been a couple of weeks since he’s touched anyone except Chloe. “Yes. You might…consider me a virgin,” he says, trying to break the tension.

Chloe nods. “Okay.”

She unlocks the car.

“Okay?”

“I’ll give you time, but until then, I don’t think we should be sleeping with each other. It’ll mess with my head.” She climbs into her car.

Lucifer opens the passenger door. “Why would it mess with your head?”

Once they’re both in seatbelts, Chloe begins backing out of the spot. Lucifer admires the long line of her throat, her firm hands turning the wheel as she checks behind her and her side mirrors. Lucifer waits for an answer. As she shifts the car into drive, she asks, “Why don’t you add that to one of your things to think about?”

He nods and they drive the rest of the way quietly.

Outside Lux, Chloe idles. She doesn’t kick him out, but she also won’t look at him.

“I’ll make tonight up to you.”

“Fine.”

“Detective, please try to understand—”

Chloe takes his face in her hands and kisses his lips. He’s delighted at the turn of events, but he worries if it’s actually a good sign. He decides to push away his worry and kiss her back, bask in the taste of wine on her tongue. He wishes he could’ve enjoyed that wine with her, but he will make it up to her. He must. Chloe seemingly melts into him and he feels that fluttering again. He leans into it and into her, pouring that feeling onto her tongue. She moans and he dreams of much more than just a kiss in a dark car.

She pulls away and looks away. “Goodnight, Lucifer.”

He pauses for just a moment before agreeing, “Goodnight, Chloe.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Lucifer talk after their day in court over their first meal together in 2x10 ("Quid Pro Ho") and their kiss on the beach ends a little differently in 2x11 ("Stewardess Interruptus").

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read and especially if you leave a comment or kudos. You're an all-star! :)

Lucifer sets the brown paper bag on the table between the two seats. “Give me a moment,” he requests with a grin and then heads back inside. Chloe feels a change in the air. After today, after what she said in court, he knows. He must know how she feels about him because it is more than a partnership. Chloe watches as he grabs two wine glasses and his eyes find hers. She knows she’s falling in love with him.

“I’m glad you came,” he says as he steps through the glass doors and out onto the veranda. He sets down a wine glass before Chloe and one for himself. Lucifer sinks down into his chair with ease.

“Yeah?”

He looks at her again and his eyes are lit with something hopeful. He uncorks the bottle. “Yes, Detective. Wouldn’t want to spend the evening at your house with Miss Nosey milling about.”

“Oh, Trixie’s with Dan.”

“I meant Maze.”

Chloe laughs, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

“Say when,” Lucifer says as he pours the wine.

“When!” she laughs again, feeling light. Happy. 

Lucifer eyes her, never looking away for too long. It’s like he’s trying to capture the moment, which is exactly how Chloe feels. After months of building, tonight feels like a true start. “I hope you know it takes months to get a reservation at this place.”

She laughs. “Oh, yeah? The fries are amazing.”

Lucifer leans back in his chair with his glass of wine. “Oh, thank you. I made them myself.”

Something passes between them. For a moment, the glee in his eyes turns serious. “Detective.” He sighs and leans forward. “What you said today in the courtroom…”

She reaches out to take his hand. “Was the truth.”

Chloe tangles her fingers with his, feeling along his pointer finger and hooking their fingers together. She wants to kiss him. She wants more than kissing him. She misses him in a way she never thought possible, and it’s only been a couple of weeks since their tryst in the elevator.

Lucifer leans forward just as Chloe begins to lean forward. They’ve kissed a hundred times, but this moment is different. So different.

“I, um…” his voice waivers.

“What?”

“Well, I-I got you burgers and fries, but I forgot the ketchup.”

She laughs softly. “I hate ketchup,” she whispers.

He smiles. “Foolish condiment,” he whispers back.

Lucifer leans closer to her, his eyes on her lips, and it feels weighted after everything she said in court earlier. She meant every word. _Lucifer is the best partner I have ever had._ She’d struggled at first to say it because while she can be vulnerable with him, it’s hard to admit her feelings aloud. _And I can only hope that he can count on me as much as I count on him._ He’d looked at her with so much softness in his eyes and she’d ached to fold herself in his arms.

And now, they’re finally having a real date with wine and food and just…them.

He holds her hand gently and she anticipates his lips against hers.

The elevator dings and a voice carries through Lucifer’s penthouse. “Lucifer,” sing-songs a female voice and Chloe and Lucifer both look over at the same time. “Hello!” says the beautiful woman dressed in a red flight attendant uniform. “This is your flight attendant speaking,” she says as she removes her hat and shakes out her hair. “Please buckle up.” She begins to disrobe.

“Jana?” Lucifer says and Chloe feels a sinking in her stomach.

“I didn’t know that you were expecting company,” Chloe says, collecting her things.

“I wasn’t, I—” Lucifer looks to Chloe and then Jana. 

“Surprise layover in LA. I thought we could rack up some miles.”

Chloe watches as the woman begins to unbutton her blouse and she feels a sucking in her chest, like her heart is being pulled into a black hole. This woman, Jana, is comfortable enough to be taking her clothes off, which means she and Lucifer have done this before. Chloe isn’t naïve. She knows who Lucifer is, how sexually free he is, but seeing her standing before them, suggesting Chloe can join, feels like a bit too much.

“Excuse me,” she says to Lucifer, blowing past the flight attendant.

“Wait, no, Detective.” He follows her. His voice right there. “I had no idea Jana was coming over.”

“It’s okay. I’ll let you two catch up.”

Lucifer reaches for her hand, taking it in his. “Detective, please.” She stops, just for a moment, but it’s enough. He looks at her and she sees his sincerity. She hopes it’s sincerity. He’s still so unreadable, but she _wants_ to trust him. “Give me a moment. Please don’t leave.”

Chloe sighs. Her eyes flit to Jana and she feels a little sick. She shouldn’t be mad. She knew who Lucifer was before she walked into his life, what’s he’s been since the beginning, but she’d hoped… But he deserves to give her an explanation. So, she nods. Chloe steps back from him. “I’m…going to go into the bedroom. Just…don’t make me wait too long.”

She feels a little heartsick after the day they’ve had, but she walks past Jana with her head held high. Chloe walks up the steps and into Lucifer’s room and sits on his bed. She wishes she had a door to close, though, because she can hear him as he dismisses Jana.

“You shouldn’t just show up here any longer, Jana.” He’s trying to be kind, which she appreciates in him.

“Who is she?” Jana doesn’t sound jealous, simply curious.

Chloe waits on bated breath.

“She’s important.”

“So, someone finally bagged bachelor Lucifer Morningstar.”

Lucifer doesn’t respond to that. “It’s always lovely to see you, but you should leave now. I have some…explaining to do.”

“Let me help you with that. Hey!” she yells and Chloe startles. She hopes Jana won’t have some big idea to come into Lucifer’s bedroom, but Chloe stands and half-hides against the stone wall anyway. “Lucifer didn’t call me here. I was just popping in for some fun. Don’t blame him, okay? He seems to really like you.”

“Thank you, Jana,” Lucifer says softly. “Please…” His voice grows quieter and then Chloe hears the elevator again. They speak in whispers, so she closes her eyes. 

A moment later, Chloe hears Lucifer crossing the living room. She remains in her spot. He walks up the steps and for a moment, she knows he can’t see her. He then turns and his eyes lock with hers. He grins a little. “Are you hiding?”

Chloe doesn’t deny it. “I thought she might come in here.”

“No. Jana…she may be bold, but I know she wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“She took her top off with me standing there. I don’t think she cares about my comfort level.”

Lucifer slides his hands into his pockets, seemingly shy. He walks closer to her and all-but hovers on her right side. “I’m sorry she interrupted us. I…well, as you heard, I didn’t plan for her visit.” Chloe says nothing, wanting to hear the whole story before she gives him an inch. “Jana flies out of Los Angeles often and when she does, she visits me. It means nothing, which might actually not help my argument much. She…she’s one of many like that, Detective, but I don’t want Jana or anyone else.”

“Why not?”

“Because I only want you.”

Her heart squeezes at his easy confession. Just a few days ago, he was struggling to even give her an inch, but now, he’s here saying things she wants to hear. Except, none of it feels real. “How long do you think you’ll feel that way because I worry.”

“Why do you worry?”

He steps closer still and she can smell him. His scent—whiskey and smoke and leather—basically intoxicates her. Her sheets smell of him lately, her hair, her clothes, and it drives her a little mad. “What if you grow bored of the vanilla sex? We joke, but what I’m into and what you’re into is polar opposite.”

“I’m into _you_.” Lucifer reaches for her, giving her time to pull away, but she doesn’t. He runs his hands along her upper arms. “You fulfill me, Chloe.”

“For now.”

“For as long as you want me.”

Chloe releases a small, shuttered breath. “I _want_ to believe you. Trust you. I do, but it feels like you and I are destined to just be stuck in this middle bit where we’re just heading in different directions.”

“Allow me to prove myself. Stay for dinner. Let’s talk. And tomorrow, if you’re still not sure…” he sighs. “I was going to say we could end it, but I’m not sure I could stand that.”

“Because I’m important?”

Lucifer nods. His dark eyes never look from her light ones. “More important than you know, Detective.” She wants to give them a shot, give herself a touch of happiness, but it feels like she’s had more ups and downs lately because of Lucifer. Despite it all, she knows she can’t leave yet. Not when there’s promise here.

So, Chloe nods. “I’ll stay.”

He seems relieved and he pulls Chloe into an out-of-character hug. She pauses, stunned for a second, before she wraps her arms around him and she just feels him holding her. He holds the back of her head, cradling her, without a single word.

* * *

Lucifer leans next to the elevator as Chloe stands there fiddling with the handle of her purse.

“You could always bring your insufferable offspring here. I do have a guest room where she’d be perfectly comfortable, very far from us, and we could have our own fun.”

Dan called, having been brought in on a new case. He’s on his way to Chloe’s apartment now with Trixie, who’s asleep on her feet.

Chloe laughs softly. “It’s better if she’s home in her own bed and maybe tonight, I should be in my own bed, too.”

“I’ll offer myself again to accompany you home.”

She shakes her head, not admitting that she wants nothing more than to spend the evening with Lucifer. “After tonight, I think we both have somethings to consider.” He frowns a little and looks away. “I want this, but I think we both need to be sure of what we want. If you’re not sure—”

“—I’m sure.”

Chloe sighs. “Well, then I need a night to think.”

“Take all the time you need, Detective,” he offers, seemingly sincerely. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”

She looks at him, really looks at him, and she sees him. She knows she knows him, but still, there’s a puzzle piece missing and it’s moments he says things like that— _“I’ve got all the time in the world.”_ — _“I’m the Devil.”_ —that Chloe wonders what he’s really masking with his whole “devil” persona. She needs to know.

Chloe rests her palm on his chest, which he glances down at before covering her hand with his. “If you’re sure, if you think you really know how you feel, then maybe you should take tonight and think about the part of you you keep hidden from me. The devil thing…”

“I don’t keep it hidden. I’ve told you before.”

“ _Show_ me. You said you had wings…”

“I don’t any longer.”

“Then something else. If you’re really the Devil”—she can’t believe she’s even entertaining any of this—“then show me who you are.”

Lucifer squeezes her hand. “You won’t understand.”

“Why don’t you trust me?”

“I _do_ trust you, Detective.”

“Then trust me with all of you.”

She leans in to kiss him and it makes her want to stay, but Trixie is waiting. Chloe steps back, offering him a small smile. “I’ll text you when I’m home.”

Lucifer stands there, looking beautiful, and that makes her want to stay, too.

But she goes.

* * *

The memory of the ocean and their kiss fill Chloe as Lucifer lifts her and sets her on the piano. She reaches for his waistcoat, unbuttoning the three buttons as he kisses her, his tongue exploring her as if they’ve never kissed before. She thought the other night was their fresh start, but it’s today. Now. She pulls open his shirt, not even bothering to unbutton it, which rewards her with a delighted, “Detective!” from Lucifer.

She abandons undressing him for a moment so she can kiss him in return with as much passion as he’s giving her. His hands take her by the waist and he lifts her again, spins her, until they’re walking to the couch. He falls back with her in his lap.

He begins to unbutton her shirt and she leans in, kissing along his neck, tasting the sea on his skin. Lucifer turns his head so his lips touch her skin, kissing and licking along her throat. She runs her fingers along the scars on his back. _Wing scars_ , she tells herself and for a moment, it doesn’t seem so silly. He survived Malcolm Graham’s bullets. He drinks like a fish and never seems the littlest bit drunk. His skin is so hot to the touch. He can pull out confessional desires. He’s…Lucifer.

Chloe leans back to look at him. She caresses his face, studying every little part of him. She _knows_ him, but does she really?

“Detective,” he says and leans in. He presses a kiss between her breasts.

_You deserve someone worthy of you and that’s not me._

She lifts his face to hers, his hands push her shirt from her shoulders. His fingertips kiss along her skin, setting her on fire. She tips her head back and closes her eyes, feeling him as he explores her, touching down her back and along her sides. She laughs a little and squirms. He leans in to kiss across her chest again. “Ticklish,” he whispers into her skin.

Chloe nods, holding the back of his head against her chest. His fingers unclasp her bra and suddenly his mouth is wrapped around one of her nipples. He holds her by the middle of her back, anchoring himself to her, pleasuring her as he knows to do so well. “Lucifer,” she sighs, feeling his worship in his mouth on her skin. She’s never felt so much adoration before, but he doesn’t hesitate in his giving.

He slides his mouth to her other breast while Chloe reaches down to unzip his pants. He looks up at her as she slides her hand inside the entrance and wraps it around him. His cock is like a steel rod in her hands, proving—not like she needs it—how much he wants her. She loosens her hold on the back of his head and he leans back groaning. Chloe takes the opportunity to lean in and kiss along his throat. “You’re worthy,” she tells him, akin to his speech on the beach.

“Chloe…” he moans and he pulls her against his chest.

_You…deserve someone better because you, Detective, are selfless to a nauseating degree._

Lucifer lifts her like she’s weightless—which could be a “devil” thing or could just be because he’s really strong—and he carries her away from the couch and the living room and towards his bedroom. She breathes against his ear, still holding him in her hand. She strokes him. He sets her on the bed, following her until he’s hovering over her. He looks down at her hand on him and groans before kissing her.

She unbuttons his pants and pushes them from his hips. He helps her, stepping out of them. He pulls back in order to remove his shoes, so Chloe takes the moment to remove her own pants and shoes. Lucifer ends up pulling off her second boot and his lips are instantly on the in-step of her left foot, kissing her there, sweeping his tongue along her skin. She arches up against the mattress.

“You’re selfless with me,” she says and his eyes darken seeing her sprawled out on his bed for him only.

_You always put your daughter first, even though the ungrateful urchin does nothing to contribute to the rent._

Lucifer kisses along her calf muscle to her knee. His hands rise higher and faster than his mouth, first holding her hips and then moving to her ribs. She watches him rising up, kissing her inner thighs, taking his time to lavish her skin and she anticipates his mouth between her legs. She rolls her hips, telling him what she needs, but he keeps going. Chloe groans.

“What was that about me being selfless?” he teases.

“I take it all back.”

Lucifer kisses beneath each of her breasts as his fingers sneak back down between her legs. She spreads her thighs for him as two fingers enter her. She sighs in relief and arches again. His lips eventually make it to her face, kissing along her chin and jaw. Lucifer’s lips reach hers, but he hovers over her, his breath passing across her lips. She’s wound tight, her eyes screwed shut, as he fingers her.

_So…you deserve someone worthy of that grace._

Chloe feels everything all at once. Her desire for him is bubbling over. She kisses his mouth, his jaw, his throat. She’s overwhelmed. She moves against his fingers and he encourages her, his lips at her ear, whispering to her. “I want you,” he says. “You’re the one, Chloe.” She loses what little control she has and unfurls in his hand, coming with a moan. He watches her as she comes and she feels nearer to him. She gives that part of herself away to him, her pleasure, her lust and desire. If he wants desires, he can have hers.

Lucifer removes his fingers from her and grips her thigh, leaving a trail of herself on her skin. He presses himself between her thighs, hot and demanding.

_Someone who knows that every crime scene breaks your heart, even though you’d never admit it._

She leans up on her elbows, holding onto him as he rolls his hips into hers. The feeling is delicious. He grins at her, a small quirk of his lips, but she basks in it. She leans in to kiss his lips. “Lucifer…” she sighs. She reaches between them and holds him once again. His grin is gone as he turns into lust and desire, too. Chloe kisses his jaw and then she begins to move them. She pushes him back and then rolls them until she’s resting on top of him.

Chloe now has him pinned and she uses her hand and the apex between her thighs to pleasure him. His arms outstretch along the bed and grip the sheets. He mumbles something incoherent, so she keeps going. He’s tense beneath her and he rocks his hips up to meet each one of her movements. She rolls her hips, keeping in pace. She loves seeing him like this, completely undone by her, because he does the same for her.

_Someone who appreciates your impossibly boring middle name, Jane._

“Please, Detective,” he begs, which makes her insides flutter.

Chloe doesn’t need much more coaxing. She holds him and lifts herself up only to sink down onto him. Lucifer immediately thrusts up into her and she feels like she’s in another galaxy. He’s fully present now, reaching up to hold her hips, helping her rock against him. She leans down, pressing her forehead to his as he sits up some and they move together. She feels it… _love_. She is in love with him. 

She’s been denying it for too long, but it’s right there, clear as day.

When he sits up fully, pressing his chest to hers, she wants to erupt with it. But this is Lucifer and he spooks. He didn’t even think he was good enough for her an hour ago, so she holds it on her tongue. She tastes the word love and it’s Lucifer. Of course it is.

_More importantly, Detective, you deserve someone as good as you…because…well, you’re special and I’m…I’m not worth it._

He clings to her as much as she clings to him. His breath is against her throat. His hands holding her. She rocks and he thrusts and it’s perfect. The only sound is from their ragged breathing, hands moving over skin, limbs adjusting against the bedding, the slap of skin. He pulls her in for a desperate kiss and his mouth is warm and welcoming, familiar at this point, and just his kiss alone could undo her. 

When she comes, he follows with a rush of breath. He holds her, spilling into her, and she closes her eyes and just feels him.

Lucifer pushes her hair away from her face and he leans back to see her. He wears a lazy smile.

_Yeah, you’re probably right…_

“Detective…”

* * *

Chloe walks from the bathroom to find the bed empty. She looks and Lucifer is pouring himself a drink. He hasn’t bothered putting anything on, so she’s able to drink in the sight of his bare back, his naked butt, and his long legs. 

He turns and catches her staring. His eyes move across her bare skin, too.

“I’m a lucky devil.”

She walks down the few steps towards him. 

“Drink?” he offers as she approaches.

Chloe shakes her head. He holds out his arm and she tucks herself into him. She’s nervous. She’s nervous because she has to tell him, but he might not feel the same. She knows he cares for her and he said she’s the one and said all those nice things on the beach, but he could feel differently. Less than her. This could all be gone in the blink of an eye. But she has to tell him. 

_Be vulnerable_ , she thinks.

She lifts her head from his chest and looks at him. His grin faulters.

“Detective?”

He sparks a question in her. “Why do you sometimes call me Chloe, but other times Detective?”

Lucifer thinks for a moment, but he doesn’t look away from her face. “I think, in the beginning, I called you Detective out of respect for the position you held. For your authority, but then it just felt right. I’m fond of calling you Detective. Do you not like it?”

“No, I love it. I just…wonder why you sometimes call me Chloe. I mean, I have my theories, but I wanted to hear it from you.”

“What are your theories?” he asks, amused.

Chloe sighs softly, looking away from him. “I just have one, really. The first time you called me Chloe was after I was shot by Jimmy Barnes. You used to only call me Chloe when you were trying to punctuate something, as if it held a higher meaning to call me Chloe in that moment. But now, you call me Chloe a lot. I think…I think it’s moments you’re being vulnerable with me.”

He chuckles and she feels it rumble against her. “I think you’re right.” She looks at him again. “Calling you Chloe is meaningful to me.”

Chloe leans in to press a kiss over her heart and it’s then that she whispers, “I’m in love with you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe's said 'I love you' and Lucifer has some revelations to share with the Detective. Still taking place after the events in 2x11 ("Stewardess Interruptus").

Chloe sits on the edge of the bed, looking away from Lucifer. He sits on the opposite side, his hands clasped together. He’s tense because she’s tense. And quiet. She’s been quiet for a long time. He thinks of a thousand things to say, to explain, but he’s not sure what will work and he’s afraid if he opens his mouth, she’ll flee. 

Just an hour ago, they were making love, because he’s sure that’s what it was. She loves him and they were together and happy, but now…

He looks over at her, hoping to catch her gaze, but she remains stoic.

Lucifer itches to touch her, comfort her, but he’s not the one she needs comforting from. 

He can’t fix this.

But he must try.

“Chloe…”

She stands like a bullet firing from a gun. She doesn’t look at him.

“I need a minute,” she says and disappears into his bathroom.

* * *

_I’m in love with you._

Lucifer leans back and immediately searches her eyes for regret, because she must be feeling instant regret. She can’t possibly feel…But he doesn’t read regret in her eyes, only conviction. Surety. She doesn’t cower away. She doesn’t flinch. She just looks up at him like she’s never been surer of anything in her life. She looks beautiful and his heart begins to race because he’s not sure what to do. He has to say something but what?

Does he love her? How would he know? He cares for her, of course. She’s his very favorite person—nay, being. He looks forward to seeing her. When he’s with her, he feels good. It feels right. Even if they’re not even touching, being with her is his every fantasy because she is perfect to him. Is that love?

Chloe runs her palm along his back. “You don’t have to say it back. I just…I needed you to know.”

“I’ve never said that to anyone.”

“I figured,” she says with a small smile. 

“I-I…don’t—” She grips him.

“Please, if you don’t feel the same, just don’t say anything, okay?”

He leans into her, needing to show her some comfort. “It’s not that, Detective.” She loves only half of him, if she truly loves him at all. She doesn’t know him, but she asked to know him. He’s petrified to acknowledge that he must show himself to her. “You have to see who I am.”

Chloe tenses. “O-okay…”

He looks down the length of their bodies pressed together. “Perhaps we should put on some clothes.”

“Wow, if you’re suggesting clothes, then it must be serious.”

Lucifer wants to crack a joke, but all he can say is, “Yes.”

They disentangle from one another and do the awkward job of picking their clothes up from the floor and pulling them back on. Lucifer dresses as he goes, but Chloe bundles her clothes in her arm to pull everything on at once. He stands near the piano. His shirt from before with the buttons popped off from when Chloe tore it open hanging from his hand. He clears his throat and she looks up from where she’s leaning over for her bra, her arm pressed over her breasts.

“I need a new shirt,” he says to excuse himself.

In his closet, Lucifer takes a deep breath. He looks at himself in the mirror as he buttons his shirt and he turns—his face red and angry-looking, the fire in his eyes. He looks away before returning to himself. Because it feels like two different selves and he doesn’t want to be the other one right now, especially not to Chloe. But he can’t hide any longer.

Chloe sits on the edge of the couch, a bundle of nerves, as Lucifer walks straight to the bar to pour a drink. “I think I’ll take one now,” she says from behind him.

Lucifer pours a second one for her and carries them both over. He looks down as she looks up and he wishes he could put into words what he feels when he’s around her. He wonders if that’s enough.

Chloe downs her drink; one swallow and she’s setting the glass on the table. She runs the back of her hand over her lips. He’s hypnotized by her. She looks up, more pained than he expected, and she just requests, “Please show me. I…this suspense is killing me.”

He nods and polishes off his own drink.

Lucifer puts his hands in his pockets and stares at her, before closing his eyes, and flipping the switch in his head. She gasps, which makes him flinch. He can’t open his eyes, feeling like a coward, but truly afraid. It hadn’t gone well with Linda and he’s terrified that it’ll go worse with Chloe. He can’t look, but he must. He needs to know what’s gone on, what she’s thinking, and he hopes he can read her face.

When he opens his eyes, she’s still sitting there, but her eyes are wide and looking over his face. He swallows and notices how she now sees his flaming red eyes, the cherry on top of his cake of horror. He never minded his Devil face until he had to show the people he cares about and now, he feels shame from it.

Lucifer turns back into himself. An easy slip. A switch turned off. Chloe keeps staring at him.

He offers her a slight smile.

“Detective?”

She’s like a stone, just like Linda after Lucifer told her, but this isn’t Linda. He moves closer and Chloe doesn’t move, which is a good sign. He sits down beside her. “Are you okay, Detective?”

Chloe says nothing, but she continues to search his face.

He doesn’t know what to do, but he knows one person who might.

“Doctor Linda knows. I could ask her to come over.”

Chloe nods slowly.

Lucifer stands to retrieve his phone. Chloe stays seated, but he walks over towards the elevator, in case she books it. He wouldn’t try to stop her, but he’d want to at least know. He calls Linda, her number the first in his recently called list. He assumes she’s in a session but hopes she’s not. Or hopes he can convince her to come over. He needs to give Chloe more context, but Linda might be able to help with that.

Linda doesn’t pick up, so Lucifer tries again. And again. Finally, during the fourth call, she picks up. “Doctor,” he says nearly breathless.

“I’m in the middle of a session.”

“Yes, I’m sorry. And I remember your rule about cell phones during sessions, but this is important.” He stops to collect his breath. “I showed Chloe.”

“You showed—oh! _Oh!_ ”

“Yes, precisely.”

“What do you need?”

“You, Doctor. I’m not sure what she’s thinking because she seems to have broken like you, but she’s quiet and still and…Please, Linda, could you come over?”

“I’m already on my way.”

* * *

Lucifer hovers as Linda arrives, in record time, too.

“Chloe?” she asks, her voice soothing.

Chloe looks at Linda.

It’s been almost thirty minutes and Chloe hasn’t done much of anything. She allows Lucifer close to her, but she doesn’t seem to respond to his words or his touch. He wanted to explain more than just “I’m the Devil,” but it’s difficult when someone is seemingly catatonic. Criminals have always been scared straight by his face, but it seems people of whom he cares for, become statues. 

Lucifer shifts from one foot to the other.

“Do you want to talk?”

“Yes,” Chloe says as he first word.

“The veranda, or my bedroom,” he offers. “I could slip outside. Or be there or—”

Chloe looks at him. “Show me again?” she asks.

Lucifer consults Linda with just his eyes. She looks between the two of them and eventually nods. Lucifer looks to his feet, flips the switch, and looks back at Chloe and Linda.

It’s ridiculous, the Devil being afraid in front of two human women, but that’s how it is. He’s laying himself bare and awaiting judgment. He’s not good at being judged. He doesn’t even do the judgments in Hell. That’s his father’s job and he wants no part of it.

Chloe stands and Lucifer watches her. She steps around Linda and approaches him slowly. He fights to remain his other half because that’s what she needs right now. Her eyes search his face, the lines dug deep into his red skin. The crackling effect of the skin, which looks burned in many places. The deep cleft in his chin; the areas seemingly completely gone. She doesn’t back away, but she doesn’t touch him either.

“Switch back,” she whispers.

And he does.

“H-how?”

“I told you. I’m the Devil.”

“But…” she looks towards Linda.

Linda smiles. “It’s a lot to take in, Chloe. Believe me, I was where you are not long ago.” She walks over and lays a hand on Chloe’s forearm. “What do you need from Lucifer right now?”

Lucifer waits as patiently as he can.

Chloe wets her lips and looks away. “I…don’t know.”

“Any questions you have Detective…”

She looks up at him as if she’s seeing a stranger and it stings. Chloe plays with her fingers, as she tends to do when she’s thinking or nervous, or nervously thinking. Her eyes sweep down his chest and then she turns away. “I need a second alone, I think.”

Before anyone can agree, Chloe is walking towards the glass doors leading to the veranda.

Linda turns to Lucifer. “How are you feeling?”

He runs a hand over his brow. He watches Chloe as she walks to the railing, looking out at the city below. She leans onto her forearms and hangs her head, eyes closed. _I’m in love with you._ “She told me she loved me.”

“What did you say?”

Lucifer turns to pour another drink. “Nothing. I told her she needed to see the real me.” He takes a sip and then throws back the entire drink, feeling it burning his throat. “How am I supposed to know if I love someone?”

“How do you feel when you’re together?”

He rolls around everything Chloe makes him feel in his stomach, in his mind, in his…heart. _You’re a bloody idiot_ , he thinks to himself because he feels like a fool. Thinking about his heart as if he has the capacity to love. He can’t. Can he?

Linda walks closer, standing beside him. “Just one feeling.”

He tastes the emotion on his tongue. “Joy.”

“That’s good, Lucifer.”

Lucifer feels like a dog being praised.

“This is ridiculous. She’s going to leave anyway, so what’s the point?”

“Why do you think she’s going to leave?”

“Because you would’ve,” he says as he pours another drink. “If we weren’t in your office that day, you would’ve up and left.”

Linda nods. “Maybe. But I’m not in love with you, she is.”

Her words hit him square in the chest. He looks over at Linda. “She loves me.”

She smiles wide and nods. “She does.”

Lucifer looks over again and Chloe has turned and she’s staring at him. She can probably barely see them through the glass, what with the sun reflecting off the surface, but she is staring at him. He doesn’t want to rush her or make her uncomfortable, but he needs her to know. He squeezes Linda’s arm as he passes and walks towards the veranda. Chloe watches his movements until he’s standing before her.

It’s not just joy. Or pleasure or lust. It’s not just about the sex. She makes him happy. Content. Today, on the beach, he meant everything he said. He was prepared to let her go, if she needed or wanted someone better. Isn’t that love? He has no other word for wanting to be near her all the time. For wanting to protect her, but also let her protect him. For the pit of fear that fills him thinking of her not being here. Or of her loving someone else.

_It’s real_ , he thinks.

He just never had a name for ‘it’ before.

“I love you,” he tells her.

Chloe looks away and he worries. He shouldn’t have said anything. He’s scared her off. She’s going to go running and he’ll be left standing here like a fool. But then she looks back and he feels a rush of hope.

“I think we should talk. I think you need to tell me everything.”

Lucifer nods. “Out here or…?”

“Inside.”

He nods again. “I’ll…go tell Linda we need some time?”

Chloe nods and says, “Mm-hmm.”

Lucifer takes it as a good sign. She wants to hear everything, but everything might involve moments she shouldn’t know. Moments he wasn’t planning on sharing. But if honesty is his thing, now is the moment to put it all out there.

Linda pushes off the bar and looks around Lucifer towards Chloe. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry to have dragged you out here, Doctor. It appears she wants to talk with me alone.”

Linda smiles. “No, no that’s fine. That’s good.”

“Any advice?”

“Just be you. Be honest. I think you can handle both of those.”

Lucifer squeezes Doctor Linda’s upper arms as a thank you. He leads her to the elevator, because he’s not some heathen, and he promises to call her later. 

After Linda departs, Chloe walks back inside. She has her arms wrapped around herself and she seems a little withdrawn and possibly tired. It hurts that he had to ruin their perfectly good afternoon with his celestial nonsense, but he needed her to know. If she is going to love him, she needs to know all of him. He waits for her to do something.

She nods in the opposite direction. “Can we sit?”

He motions towards the living room. “Please.”

Chloe sits on the couch and Lucifer sits in the chair opposite her and her eyes settle on his. She sighs and she says, “Tell me everything.”

“Do you know the Bible? I could skip all that and—”

“—Just…start from the beginning, Lucifer.”

He nods, pressing his hands together. “I was created and named Samael…”

Lucifer mostly sits while he tells his story, but Chloe paces. She sits and paces and then sits again. He tells her his past. “The Garden of Eden was more a forest, but the Forest of Eden didn’t stick. It was a dense, very green forest with ferns and tall sycamore trees. Not much grew underneath the canopy, but there was a clearing, which is where the grapevines grew. There was never an apple and I never told Eve to eat anything. I found her already eating the grapes.”

His fall from grace. “It wasn’t quick. Heaven is beyond where you might dream it to be, so it was traumatic. Like falling from the moon, if there were gravity in space.”

His time in Hell. “It’s dark and colder than you’d imagine. No, not dark. Melancholy. More gray with falling ash, like everything is burning. But the fires do little to heat Hell, so it’s just cold and gray and sometimes there are screams. It’s mostly just lonely.” 

Deciding to retire and move to Los Angeles. “I chose L.A. because of the light. The beautiful men and women. The…fun. I stayed because people here are different than anywhere else. They can be selfish and naïve, but also accepting and open. I liked that anyone I met was willing to try something at least once. It made my…well, my endeavors before you—”

“—It made the sex good,” she interrupts.

Lucifer smiles. “Yes.”

“And what about me?”

“What about you?”

“Your life is a revolving door. Until me, you didn’t spend time with any humans for longer than a few days. Why insert yourself into my life? Why take any interest in my work?” Chloe’s eyes narrow. “Were you sent here? I mean, are you here for me? To take me away?”

Lucifer shakes his head, wondering how she even got there. “No, Detective, of course not. First, because that’s not my job. I’m not a bloody Uber. And two, I chose to insert myself into your life”—he tries not to laugh at the word insert—“because you did—do—fascinate me. I watched you piece together Delilah’s case. You were smart and brave, no nonsense. But you had this other side to you, with the kid and the nearly dying. I saw _you_ , Detective, while we worked together on that case and I just wanted to know more.”

“And what have you learned about me?”

He grins, tipping his gaze down to his hands. “You’re infallible. Persistent. Demanding,” he gives her a look and she does grin a bit. “You’re sure of yourself. When everyone was telling you you were wrong about Palmetto Street, you stuck to your guns. It was impressive. But you’re also soft, loving—especially with that little creature you call a child.” He sighs. “It’s like what I told you earlier. You’re _good_ , Detective, so you deserve goodness.”

Chloe looks him square in the eye and says, “And you’re the Devil.”

“Yes, I am.”

She stands, pushing off her thighs. “I just…I can’t make sense of it. I know you told me a million times and I didn’t listen, but you _know_ it’s unbelievable. You seem so…”

“Human,” he supplies.

“God, you’re not even human.”

“No, I’m not.” He feels a sucking in his chest. He listens to her pace instead of watching her because she’s making him anxious. He still thinks she might bolt any second.

Chloe has her back to him as she says, “But you’re not bad. I mean, you saved me multiple times. You care for people.” She turns slightly. “You say you love me.”

Lucifer meets her eyes. “Yes.”

For a few minutes, she’s quiet. Lucifer stands to pour another drink, but he stays out of her way. He drains it and glances into the mirrors behind the bar. She’s staring at his back, as if she’s trying to read him. Lucifer doesn’t turn for some time, allowing her to have the moment. He’s unsure of what she’s looking for—if anything—but she doesn’t turn away for a long while.

When she does turn away, she says, “I have one question.”

“You can ask as many as you need, Detective.”

She nods. “Right now I just have the one. What happened,” she begins as he turns to her, “a few weeks ago? You said you did something bad. What did you do?”

He feels the pain of Uriel’s death in his hand. The light leaving his brother’s eyes. The first being he ever killed and it was an angel. His goddamn brother. He roils in that pain, reliving it often. The feeling of the blade, his brother crumpling. The relief that Chloe would be safe for a day longer. His eyes fall to the ground.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“You won’t want to know.”

“I’m asking you because I _do_ want to know,” she says, ever persistent.

Lucifer knows she’ll hate him, but perhaps she already does. If he promised no secrets, he’ll have to abide by that. “I have thousands of siblings. You’ve only met Amenadiel, but there are many more. Azrael, Gabriel, Uriel…” he says sadly. “My brother Uriel was able to manipulate patterns and probability so events would take place. It’s like my deal with desires. Amenadiel can slow time, plus he’s an incredible warrior. Well, Uriel came to Earth for you, Chloe.”

Her eyes widen. “What? When?”

“Your car accident.”

“N-no…that was just a freak accident.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “Uriel orchestrated that accident.”

“But…why?”

He feels a migraine coming on, something so rare, it takes him by surprise. Lucifer is about to lay all his cards on the line, but he does it anyway. “Because when Malcolm Graham killed me, before I died, I begged my father to protect you. I told him I’d give him anything. So, when I returned from Hell, it was time to pay up. My mother, in the body of Charlotte Richards currently, is meant to be in Hell. I was supposed to return her to her rightful place, only I didn’t. Uriel came to remind me of my deal with Dad and when I didn’t do as Dad wished, Uriel began targeting you.”

“You…Hell. Charlotte. What?”

“I’m sorry. I’m _trying_ to explain this as plainly as possible. Uriel was creating patterns that could hurt you and I couldn’t have him targeting you, so I killed him,” Lucifer chokes out. “I killed my own brother. I’d…never killed anyone before.”

She looks lost, confused, and he understands. Lucifer releases a strangled sigh. 

Chloe presses a hand to her mouth and looks to the ground, as if it has answers. And then she’s up the steps, disappeared into his bedroom.

* * *

_He can’t fix this._

_But he must try._

_“Chloe…”_

_She stands like a bullet firing from a gun. She doesn’t look at him._

_“I need a minute,” she says and disappears into his bathroom._

Lucifer lies back against the mattress, his eyes on the ceiling. This is it. This is the moment everything ends. He’s admitted to being a killer, which is probably the only thing Chloe can think about. She’s a homicide detective and up until an hour ago, a person was a person—human—and Lucifer killing one is homicide. It’s the least of his worries, though.

He’s going to lose her. She’s going to leave because why would she stay?

Chloe walks back into the room only seconds later. Lucifer props himself up on his elbows and watches as she walks around the bed to semi-stand in front of him. She crosses her arms over her chest. “You killed your brother.”

“Yes.”

“To save me?”

He nods. “And my mum, although I’ve been regretting that decision as of late.”

She shuffles on her feet and he sits up, watching her. She releases a big sigh and shakes her head. “How many times have you used your…powers to save me?”

“Not many. I’ve only begged for your life once.”

“This is crazy.”

Lucifer feels that touch of vulnerability as he says, “But you’re not running. Why aren’t you running?”

“Because…I-god, I don’t know.”

“Please don’t bring Him into this.”

Chloe runs her fingers through her hair. “I have to go.”

Lucifer stands. “Now?”

“I need space, Lucifer. I…I just need to think and I can’t think with you around.”

He hangs back after following her from the bedroom to the living room. She pulls on her shoes, long forgotten after they tumbled out of the elevator together. It’s been a day of highs and lows. Of expectations surpassed, but Lucifer feels like he has more questions than answers. Chloe spent long enough to hear him out, but now she’s leaving. He thought she’d turn him away at the beach, but then she was kissing him. It’s hard to understand where they stand, but Lucifer knows he must give her to space to figure out what she needs.

Chloe pauses at the elevator. She turns and looks at him. He prepares himself for anything, but what comes next gives him a touch of hope. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

He tries to limit his grin and he nods. “Whatever you need, Chloe.”

She looks like she might say something more, but then the elevator arrives. She steps on.

Lucifer desires a proper goodbye, but he's taking what he can get. But then Chloe surprises him and maybe even herself. She steps off the elevator and reaches him, not even allowing a second to pass until she’s kissing him. He’s unsure of what it means, but he doesn’t care. Lucifer kisses her back, opening himself to her body, mind, and soul. She wraps herself in him and it’s a closeness they’ve curated the last few weeks. His fingers tangle in her hair and her hands are desperate against him, and they’re connected. 

He _feels_ it. Love. He’s sure of it. It’s been there for so long, but he never knew what to call it. He’s loved her from before their first kiss, he thinks. Perhaps from the beginning, but what he thought was fascination wasn’t. Or wasn’t just.

As the kiss ends, Lucifer releases her. He needs to let her go and sort through all she’s learned. But she hesitates. “If you’d like to stay…”

He wants her to stay.

Chloe shakes her head. “I should go,” she basically whispers.

He tucks her hair behind her ear before she steps back from him. 

“I’m here, Chloe, should you need anything.”

She offers him a brief smile, something with a touch of unsurety, but still… And she steps towards the elevator again. “I know,” she says before stepping into the elevator and disappearing behind the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter of my smutty fic without smut. Oh well. Those pesky emotions got in the way. We're building to something here, which I hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading, commenting, kudo-ing (not a verb, but who cares). Whatever you choose to do, I appreciate you.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer puts all his cards on the table after Chloe almost dies in 2x13 ("A Good Day to Die").

“You know, this whole poisoning thing has just…”—she inhales, feeling the unsurety in her voice—“Really put a pause on everything that’s been going on with you and I, so…” He chuckles light as she searches his eyes. “Should we just pick up where we left off?”

Lucifer smiles, pats her hand, and says, “I think right now, you just need to focus on feeling better, Detective.” He stands. It’s not the answer she wanted, but he’s trying to give her space. Time. The last few days have been a lot.

“Would you have someone bring Trixie in?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.”

She holds his hand as long as she can, but eventually he pulls away. “And we’ll talk. We’ll talk later, yeah?”

Lucifer nods, but doesn’t say yes and she wants so much more. She watches him retreat and she feels the weight of the last few days on her shoulders. She tips her head up towards the heavens and swallows back her tears, but she doesn’t have the wherewithal to stop them. 

In the last few days, she’s learned Lucifer loves her, after telling him she loved him, she learned he’s the actual Devil—with a red face to go with the whole persona—and she’s nearly died. When the nosebleed started, she didn’t think of needing anyone else. It didn’t matter he was the Devil—which she was still iffy about—or that she’d left him hours ago to think and hadn’t done much of that. She was scared and he was the only one she wanted.

But he was angry when he arrived. She can’t forget that part.

_Did you know? Huh?_

_This whole bloody time, did you know?_

Chloe has so much she wants to say, but she watches him go. He disappears down the hallway and she wipes away her tears.

The door opens a minute later and Dan leads Trixie into the room.

“Mommy?” Trixie asks hesitantly.

“Hi, Monkey,” Chloe says through a watery smile and forces herself to get it together for the sake of her daughter. She opens her arms. She’s exhausted, but she feels okay, which feels like a small win after her long night and day. “Come here, baby.”

Trixie begins to scramble up onto the bed and Dan assists. “Easy, sweetie.”

Chloe smooths her hair as she settles against her. The last time they did this, she had a bullet wound to her shoulder. That was less than a year ago. And both times, Lucifer saved her.

“How are you feeling?” Dan asks.

She nods, looking up from Trixie. “Good. Fine, mostly. Just tired.”

“We won’t stay long, right Monkey?” Dan asks.

Chloe looks into her daughter’s eyes and sees her worry. She looks at Dan again. “Can you give us a minute?” Dan never gets jealous of these moments between mother and daughter. He nods and backs out of the room. Once he shuts the door behind him, Chloe turns her attention back to Trixie. “I’m really okay, baby.”

“You keep getting hurt.”

Shot.

Car accident.

Poisoning.

Chloe nods. “I know, but sometimes that’s just life.”

“You said you were really careful.”

“I am! But sometimes Mommy’s work is dangerous. I promise you; I will be as careful as I can. No risks, okay?”

Trixie nods. “Did Lucifer save you?”

She hasn’t heard the whole story yet. She knows he did something extraordinary, but she’s afraid to ask. If it’s another deal with his dad, she might not want it. He did save her, though. Like a guardian angel.

Chloe watches the door, hoping he’ll appear, but he doesn’t.

“Yes. Lucifer saved me.”

* * *

Lucifer strides out of the hospital with one thing on his mind—flight. Not the flight of his wings, although that would be useful right now. No, he needs to flee Los Angeles, for a time at least. He needs to flee…her. 

He’s not a coward. At least he’s _trying_ not to be a coward, but he can’t pretend any of this is real any longer. His father used Chloe to manipulate him. It’s cruel and painful now to see her, to see her eyes light up when she sees him because none of it is real. They’re both pawns in a game they don’t deserve to play. So, Lucifer will leave. He’ll have to return eventually, because L.A. is home, but some major changes will need to be made. 

First, he’s going to have to cut himself off from his mother and Amenadiel. His circle will be more like a line—just him and Maze.

Second, he’ll need to cut Linda off. The good doctor could also be part of some elaborate plan.

And finally, third, he can no longer have contact with the Detective.

Lucifer ignores his pain. It’s as real as this charade he’s been trapped in for the last year.

He walks into the sunshine, ready to uproot his life, when a voice catches his ear.

“Luci!”

Lucifer pauses. He can still see the security guards at Amenadiel’s feet, the ones he’d so expertly tossed aside to keep Lucifer safe. To keep Chloe safe. He cared and he saved them all.

“Not now, brother.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“And then?” 

Lucifer tightens his hands into fists. “What, does Father have a monitor on my thoughts now? Has he sent you to stop me from leaving Los Angeles? Because it’s not your business either way.” No, his father probably isn’t paying that much attention; Amenadiel just knows him too well. And to think a year ago, they could barely stand one another.

Amenadiel closes the distance between them. Lucifer’s not sure why he sticks around, but he does. Maybe it’s the smallest thank you for what Amenadiel did today, although it doesn’t change what he did thirty-five years ago. “Why are you leaving?”

“You’re kidding, right? It’s all a sham. The Detective and m—” he sighs, not even finishing his sentence because it all sounds pathetic now. “I need a break from…all of this.”

“I don’t think you understand, Luci.”

“Understand about what?”

Amenadiel shakes his head, as if the thoughts in there need to be loosened. But Lucifer isn’t sure he cares. Whatever defense he has, whatever defense he has for their dad, he doesn’t want to know. And yet, he waits. “I’ve been thinking about Father and the…gifts he bestows. They’re never gifts though, they’re lessons and—”

“—So, the Detective’s a lesson? Is that it? Well fail me, brother, because I don’t want to learn.”

“Don’t you see, Luci? She makes you vulnerable. _She_ does that, no other human. She isn’t compelled by your charms and won’t just offer you her desires if you ask. You’ve become more empathetic. You’ve begun to _care_ for humans and not just Chloe. Trixie and Linda. Ella. You talk about them all the time. You’re changing, brother, and I think it’s because of your relationship with Chloe.”

“What relationship? You were there! You basically created her into existence. Anything that’s happened between the Detective and I is meaningless because she isn’t…Our relationship is manufactured. Whatever she might’ve thought she felt or I might’ve thought I meant is meaningless.”

Amenadiel is relentless. “You’re blinded by hatred for Father. You can’t see this as a gift.”

“I don’t _want_ her to be my gift. Go tell the Detective your big revelation. I think she’d agree that she’s not some wrapped up present for the Devil.” Lucifer finds amusement in trying to picture Amenadiel talking his way around the whole thing with Chloe. He slides his hands into his pockets. “Actually, can I watch? I’d love to watch the Detective chuck you out a window over the nonsense of it all.”

Lucifer shakes his head, already exhausted from the day, but now more exhausted from Amenadiel grasping at straws. “I’m no longer interested in your theories, brother. I have plans to make. A city to find. Perhaps I’ll spend some time in Las Vegas…”

He turns to leave, but Amenadiel is the Angel of Annoyingness. “Mother and I were going to use Chloe to our advantage.”

“What?” Lucifer asks and turns.

“Mother thought Chloe might be the key for us to return home.”

Lucifer advances on Amenadiel, reaching out to take him by the shirt. “If you hurt her—”

“—That’s just it, Luci. Don’t you see?” Amenadiel lays his hand over Lucifer’s. “You care for her. Care about her well-being. You can’t just pretend you don’t.”

He lifts Amenadiel’s shirt for a moment before pulling away. “Of course I care about her; I’m not some monster.” But he remembers plunging the knife into Uriel. _Not a monster, indeed._ “Why tell me what you two are plotting? You know I’m just going to stop you. I’ll chuck Mum back to Hell if that’s what it takes. And don’t you dare tell me my protecting the Detective is because I’ve _grown_ ,” he says quickly. “It’s probably part of the manipulation.”

Amenadiel smooths out his shirt. “Lucifer, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I think you’re wrong. I saw you today, how you protected her, even after what you learned. You’re not seeing your relationship with Chloe for what it is.”

“And what is it?”

“A miracle.”

Lucifer scoffs, but Amenadiel is undeterred.

“Father doesn’t hand out gifts,” he reiterates. “I was told to bestow a miracle upon a couple and Chloe is that miracle. But she’s also a miracle to you. You think—you’ve been conditioned to think—anyone wants to know you because you charm them. But you don’t charm her. That is a miracle, Luci.”

He refuses to believe. “You shouldn’t waste your breath, brother, on this nonse—”

“—You went to Hell for her. Isn’t that a miracle in and of itself?”

“I did what I had to.”

“But _why_ did you have to? If you’d just listen to her for one moment, to how she feels, you’d know. Yes, Mother was trying to use Chloe against you, I won’t deny that. But it didn’t work because Chloe cares for you, brother. _She_ can’t be manipulated. Mother told me what she did in court, how she tried to get Chloe to call you a liar, but she wouldn’t budge. She’s too smart for celestial intervention. She’s too dedicated to you.”

Lucifer finds moments, small, quiet moments when Chloe would gain nothing from their interactions. Moments when she’d take his hand or stroke his face or even kiss him. Perhaps the early kisses would be to get her way, part of some grand plan, but what even would that plan be? If Mother couldn’t make her turn on him, is it Father’s turn to try? But why save her from Malcolm Graham? Why save her unless she is part of some plan?

_Or maybe He saved her because she is meant to change you,_ Lucifer thinks.

Amenadiel stands before Lucifer again. “I didn’t do anything except bless a couple. Sure, Father put Chloe in your path, but what if after millennia, He’s finally giving you a chance to prove you’re still the Lightbringer?” He pauses, seemingly, for dramatic affect before ending with, “With Chloe, you’ve been brighter than you have in a very long time, Lucifer.”

* * *

It’s late and Dan has taken Trixie home, so Chloe’s alone. There’s nothing on TV that’ll hold her interest and she doesn’t have the attention span for anything else. All she wants is to talk to Lucifer. She texts him for the third time that evening.

_Can you come to the hospital? I know it’s after visitation hours, but if anyone could sneak through security and the nurses, it’s you._

Her earlier texts weren’t so direct, but she’s feeling the need to be direct.

She lies back against her pillows and tries to close her eyes and relax, but she can only do half of that. She’s as tense as ever because something is wrong with Lucifer. Even if she didn’t take his big reveal too well, she never expected that he’d leave her right now, when they’ve both been through a lot. She wants to know what he did. She wants him to hold her.

Chloe pushes back the covers and stands. She grips the IV pole and moves it to a more convenient place so she can pace. She clutches her phone in her hand and walks a small path in her hospital room.

She didn’t mean to take the truth about Lucifer so badly. She just…It’s unbelievable. Even seeing his face, she still thought it was all unbelievable. Lucifer Morningstar isn’t some stage name or undercover name. He’s not Lucifer for the fun of it. He’s Lucifer because that’s who he is. It shakes everything she knew to her very core and it unsettled her. She’s in love with the Devil. She’s been sleeping with the Devil.

Chloe wants to apologize. She still can’t really understand sometimes who Lucifer is, but even with his reveal, she _knows_ him. Knows what he’s done for her. He said he even loves her. She can’t—

“—You’re thinking very hard.”

She turns to the sound of his voice. “Lucifer…”

He grins, shutting the door behind him. “I’ve convinced three nurses and two security personnel that I’m trustworthy. I’m not to stress you out, but allow you to rest, but low and behold, you’re stressing out enough for the two of us.” He walks closer to her. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

Chloe doesn’t care. She steps into his embrace and hugs him around the waist. After a moment, his arms wrap around her. She can’t help but cry.

“A little comfort from the Devil; how ironic.”

“Thank you for coming.”

Lucifer runs his hand along her hair. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I…well, I don’t have a very good excuse. I was thinking, which has been known to get me into some trouble. At least I didn’t leave you in a restaurant alone.”

She laughs a little against his chest and pulls back to look up at him. “What happened today?”

Lucifer motions to the bed. “Come. Let’s get you comfortable and I’ll tell you.”

Chloe feels cared for as Lucifer offers his hand and helps her back into the bed. He situates her IV and checks that the tubbing isn’t tangled or pulling. He lifts the blankets and covers her. She grips one of his hands as he finishes settling her. He sits beside her hip on the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she says honestly. She wraps her thumb and forefinger around the joint of his thumb, drawing her fingers along his skin. “Tell me what happened.”

“Well, with our dearly departed professor in Hell, I only had one choice. I had to pay him a visit.”

“How?” _You didn’t die after all. That makes one of us._ His words from earlier rattle around in her head. _He died?_ “You died?”

Until just a few days ago, this reveal would warrant an eyeroll. Another metaphor in the book of Lucifer Morningstar’s Book of Confusion. But now she knows it’s real because he doesn’t lie. He’s _never_ lied to her. She just didn’t know how to understand.

“I died for but a moment, Detective. My body was still warm when I hopped back in.”

“But…why? I mean, something could’ve happened to you.”

He looks faraway for a moment and Chloe wonders if something did happen to him. She adds it to the list of things to ask, which feels about a mile long at this point. Lucifer looks back to her, full of sincerity. “For you, Chloe. I couldn’t just stand by and watch you die.”

Her chest tightens. She takes Lucifer’s full hand in hers now and squeezes her palm to his. “Thank you.”

“It was selfish, really. You know me…”

“I do know you,” she says, but she leaves out his self-deprecating humor. 

Lucifer looks around the small room and shakes his head. “You’d think you’d have better accommodations. I should go talk to someone.” He moves to stand, but she stops him. 

“We have a lot to talk about,” she reminds him.

His gaze softens. “But it’s late and you must be tired.”

“It is and I am,” she confirms, “but I’ve been waiting to talk to you all day. We haven’t really talked”—she looks down at their joined hands—“since you showed me who you are. I wanted to apolog—”

“—You don’t need to apologize for anything, Detective.”

“I _want_ to. You’re my partner, Lucifer, and I didn’t handle it well when you told me.”

“I don’t know, I think you handled it better than you think.”

“You’re only being nice to me because I almost died.”

“I _did_ die.”

“Don’t remind me.” She presses her head back into the pillows. “Please try not to die again, okay?”

He grins. “I’ll do my best, Chloe.”

Chloe looks at him and the last few weeks, from the beginning, comes crashing around them. He’s been her partner for a long time now, but everything else—falling into bed together, falling in love with him, proving all the stories he’s been telling her for a year—she feels the weight of all of that. It’s a good weight, a pressure of finally knowing him.

She sits up and slides a little closer. His eyes watch her and it’s been the same from the beginning, even when she wouldn’t admit it—she likes his eyes on her. Chloe reaches out to stroke his face, so familiar with him now that she knows he’ll lean into her touch. And when he does, she sweeps her thumb over his cheek and leans in, feels his breath on her lips. 

But Lucifer tightens and pulls away. “Detective…”

“I’m fine,” she rushes to tell him. “I feel fine. No sex,” she says with a small smile. “I just need to kiss you.”

He reaches up and wraps his hand around her wrist, pulling her touch from him. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

“What? Being the Devil wasn’t enough?” She jokes, but he doesn’t laugh. She leans back, giving him space, but she keeps her hand in his. “Tell me.’

Lucifer sighs and shakes his head. “I just learned more about our history the other day.”

“Our history?” Their history started beside the piano in Lux, him looking up at her amused and her being annoyed by him. A tale as old as time, really.

“It appears we were meant to be, in a way.” He seems nervous, so she squeezes his hand to let him know she’s here. “Your parents struggled to conceive,” he begins and he tells her a story that seems so unbelievable. Unreal. Amenadiel blessed her parents to conceive her for…Lucifer. She’s a _gift_ for _Lucifer_ and she doesn’t believe it at first. Why would his father gift him anything after throwing Lucifer from Heaven? How did it happen that they met a year ago and not before? Or after? Was that destined, too? Was God just up in Heaven pushing Lucifer and Chloe-shaped dolls towards one another?

No, it’s silly. She wasn’t _made_ for anyone.

No.

But then she can see that Lucifer is tense and angry. His words are clipped. His touch seems to be pulling away from her, but it’s the only thing anchoring her to this conversation, so she holds tightly to him. “Amenadiel believes,” he says with disbelief in his voice, “that you’re not a gift _for_ me, but _to_ me. To make me better. Improve me.”

“Why?”

“Amenadiel believes I’ve become a better person, or being, however you want to see me. He believes loving you and you being able to see me, not the charm I bestow on most people, is the gift.”

“Do you believe that?”

Chloe hates the situation either way. She doesn’t want to be a gift, even if it helps him improve. She’s her own person and being connected to Lucifer like this— _is a gift_ , her brain tells her, interrupting. 

“I don’t know what to believe. I just knew I had to tell you, Detective. No lies.”

“No lies,” she reiterates. She looks at him, seeing the anger still rolling beneath his skin. “Is that why you busted into my apartment yesterday and accused me of knowing something?”

He hangs his head. “Yes.” He then looks at her. “I thought you were in on the game. I didn’t realize you’d been duped as well. For a long time, I tried to figure out what you were. If you were an agent of my father. Or something more sinister.”

“When you wanted to check my back for wings,” she remembers.

Lucifer grins softly. “Yes.”

“But you stopped asking me your insane questions.”

“I realized you were just you. Human. A fluke, I assumed.”

“…And now?”

He looks away from her and she takes in the angle of his jaw. She wants to kiss him there, but refrains. He wouldn’t even kiss her a moment ago, perhaps because Chloe is now tied to his father, of whom he hates. Lucifer probably is only doing her this kindness because he _has_ improved, but not like someone might think. Lucifer is kinder and more empathetic, of course, but he also seems genuinely happier. Chloe assumed Lucifer couldn’t be happier drinking away the night with beautiful men and women on his arms, but it appears spending time with her fills him with more joy. She hopes so. She feels happier with him.

Chloe sits up again and leans into his space bubble. He looks at her but doesn’t pull back. She remembers their first touch—the first time they went beyond co-workers. The way he’d kissed her so thoroughly that she thought she might pop. How even then, when they were all flirting and quips, he still made her feel important. She worries that he doesn’t see those moments for what they were: falling in love with someone.

She rests her palm on his chest. “What are you thinking?”

Lucifer shakes his head—his only answer.

Chloe fists his lapel. “Can I tell you what I think is going on in your head?” He gives her a wide, open look. “I think you’re trying to piece together what is real with us and I’m going to tell you right now, Lucifer Morningstar, what I feel for you feels very real.”

“Isn’t that the problem? If we’re being manipulated, then of course it’ll feel real.”

“Why would He manipulate us?”

“Because He’s my father and a bit of a dick.”

She laughs a little and smooths her hand over his chest. “But why give you a gift if it’s only going to torture you? Your father manipulating you is torture, so then, by that logic, calling me a gift is a bit of a misnomer.”

Lucifer smirks a little. “You’re taking this whole God is my father, I’m the Devil, Heaven and Hell thing pretty well. You’re understanding the rules already.”

“I’m a fast learner.”

“You’re also taking this gift thing well.”

Chloe lies back again, feeling a rush of exhaustion. “I think I decided I don’t care. At least not today. Tomorrow I’ll care. Or the next day.”

“You’re tired,” he says.

She just nods this time.

“You need your rest, Detective.” He stands and through half-closed eyes, she can see him leaning in to kiss her forehead. “I’ll only be a phone call away, should you need me.”

Chloe doesn’t release his hand. “Stay with me?”

“Your bed isn’t made for two.”

“Yes it is, if you squeeze in nice and tight.” She pushes herself to open her eyes. “Please, Lucifer?”

“That’s unfair; you know I can’t say no to you.”

“Then don’t say no.”

Lucifer drops her hand in favor of lifting the sheet and blanket from her body. She hears him moving around, a gentle cadence in the room that nearly puts her to sleep. When she feels him crawl into bed behind her, she wraps her arm around and feels his Oxford shirt. She runs her hand over the material, feeling how close he is. He presses himself down the length of her back, holding her around the middle. His hands are gentle, his lips close to her ear.

“May I call you darling?” he asks.

She flutters. “Only if you don’t call anyone else darling.”

She thinks he might be smiling, but it’s hard to tell. “Deal,” he whispers right as she falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy this fic has really gone to places I didn't expect. I hope you enjoyed this second non-smutty chapter. I couldn't help it. I also hope you enjoyed a little brotherly bonding. Two chapters left. We'll be getting back to our roots in the next one.
> 
> Thank you if you take the time to comment or leave a kudo. Thank you for reading at all!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Chloe aren't on the same page in 2x16 ("God Johnson) and Chloe finds Lucifer a little worse for the wear after an incident with Maze in 2x17 ("Sympathy for the Goddess").

Lucifer plays whatever strikes his fancy and right now, “Hello God” pours from his piano. It’s a bit on the nose after the last few days, but he’s not playing for an audience.

Until he is.

He knows she’s there before he even sees her. 

“You may approach the bench, Detective,” he says, which should sound light, airy, but comes out much more bitter than he’d planned. 

He keeps playing.

Beside him, Chloe sits down on the piano bench. He hasn’t given her enough room, so she perches on the bench, probably uncomfortably, but she doesn’t complain. She doesn’t say anything either. He plays on, humming to himself, but not actually singing the words. He wouldn’t want today, of all days, for his father to finally show some interest and pop in only to hear his fallen son asking for him. Because Lucifer will never ask for him again.

The song is coming to an end. Lucifer can’t deny that Chloe being here makes him feel better, but he’s not much by way of company right now and he’d like to avoid an incident like the night she visited him after he’d killed Uriel.

When he finishes, she asks, “What song was that?”

He tells her.

“I didn’t take you for much of a Dolly Parton fan.”

Lucifer reaches for his drink with a chuckle. “She’s the queen of country music, Detective.”

They sit in silence again. He glances at her and she’s looking down at the keys. He’s reminded of the time she first comforted him, after the priest died in the early days of their partnership. She’d played the piano (mediocrely) just to make him feel better. She’s smiled, wide and happy, and plucked the keys like a little kid after their first lesson. He’d felt something then, but of course, he didn’t have a name for it. Perhaps it was love. A kind of love. Nothing like the burning her feels for her now.

He sighs. He should return to playing, put off whatever conversation she wants to have, but he doesn’t. He looks at her again. “Detective…”

“Yes?”

“Why are you here?”

It’s been weeks since they’ve really connected over anything besides their current case. He’s kept her at an arm’s length and he knows it hurts her. He’d been trying to figure out what scheming his mother is doing. He’s been focused on her and Amenadiel’s plan to return to Heaven. It’s good to be distracted because otherwise, he’s too focused on the canyon between him and Chloe. He can’t face her after learning the truth about their beginnings when Amenadiel blessed her parents. He wants to be present for her. Be what she needs, but he can’t. Not anymore. 

One step forward, fifty-three back.

“I came to check on you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. We’re partners.”

“Are we?”

Chloe’s brows knit together. “I thought so, unless you know something I don’t.”

Lucifer wishes he had a cigarette, but he’s all but given up smoking as of late. “I should think you’d want someone more dependable, with less of a history. You’re no longer a pariah. Palmetto Street no longer hangs over your head like a pendulum. You could have any partner you wish.”

Her hand wraps around his thigh just north of his knee. He looks at her hand there. “You’re my partner, Lucifer. My…vindication or whatever you want to call it doesn’t change who I want as a partner.”

He takes a deep breath and, on the exhale, it’s a little shuttered. He reaches for his drink again. Chloe moves a little closer so her arm brushes past his. She doesn’t look away now. “Lucifer, I know you keep things to yourself and that’s okay. We all deserve some privacy. But these last few weeks you’ve been…different.”

“Like I used to be?” he supplies.

She seems a bit stunned by his self-evaluation. “Yes.”

“Yes, well, after learning that you were put here for me, you’d have to agree that whatever we…shared…is over.”

“I-I don’t agree with that.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “So, you’d like to just ignore the fact that you were created _for me_?”

“But Amenadiel said—”

“—Amenadiel _guessed_. There’s a difference.”

Her hand still rests on his thigh, but he’s beginning to hate the feeling. Not because he doesn’t crave her touch, because he does, but because he can feel her desperation to make a relationship between them work. It can’t work. Especially now.

“Is that why you’ve been acting this way? With your mom and Amenadiel stuff and God Johnson this week? I mean, the dad thing I get, but you basically left me, Lucifer, and we barely talked about it. You just told me it’s ‘all part of the plan,’ but what the hell was the plan?”

He stands, instantly losing her touch. He wants to storm off to his penthouse or—literally—anywhere else, but he also owes her answers. If they’re going to keep working together, every bit of dirty laundry needs to be aired out. He hovers, standing with his back to her. 

“It feels like you’ve been trying to hurt me.”

“Hurt you?” he asks as he turns.

“You and I haven’t talked since the night in the hospital, Lucifer.”

“For the plan!”

“Tell me the plan! Make me understand why you’ve been pulling away from me since I almost died. I needed you and you’ve been…absent. You said you loved me and then you’re gone.”

Lucifer feels the fire licking inside him. He wants to scream at her, make her understand, but it’s all such…bullshit. Yes, he’s been focused on his mother. And yes, he’s feeling a bit ticked off after spending time with his fake father, God Johnson, who said all the things Lucifer will never hear from his own father. And he’s dealing with this bleeding knife to cut open the gates of Heaven so he can chuck his mum back where she belongs.

But none of that is why he’s pulling away from her. It’s the one thing, the worst thing. She can’t love him. Not when she was manipulated. No matter what Amenadiel likes to dream up, their father hasn’t gifted him shit. He put Chloe in Lucifer’s path, against her will, to fuck with him.

“I’m not someone to need, Detective.”

The piano bench scrapes against the floor and he flinches, not for the bench, but for her closeness. He can’t think when she’s close. Her hands slide over his arm and he thinks about shaking her lose. It would be much less cruel than continuing this charade.

“You’re wrong.”

“About?” he asks curiously.

“Everything.”

Lucifer turns to face her and her grip shifts but doesn’t loosen. Now, she spreads herself, her arms, taking both of his in her hands. The look in her eyes is desperate and searching. His eyes lower to her lips and man, does he want to kiss her. Taste her. She’s a divine kisser, which was once just a pleasant fact, but now that he knows she’s made because of divinity, it’s a cruel joke. He looks away from her and drinks, wishing he could get drunk.

“Lucifer,” her voice is steady, “I think you’re wrong.”

“You mentioned that.”

She removes her touch and he misses it. She runs her hands through her hair and paces a bit—just two steps one way and two the other. “You’re afraid that everything between us is a manipulation and—”

“—Obviously.”

“Please, just let me get this out.” She stands before him, shoulders rolled back, with an agenda. She’s going to try to sway him and he’ll listen, but he won’t surrender. “When we met, I genuinely couldn’t stand you. Your cockiness, your arrogance. I _hated_ how you kept me in the dust as you blew through Delilah’s case. You were _good_ , which made you even more insufferable.”

He smiles. “I like where this is going.”

Chloe shoots him a look, but he doesn’t stop grinning. “It took time for me to understand you. To see past your faults. To learn new faults.” His grin widens. “We spent hours together, days, weeks, before I felt even an inkling of anything. At first it was a kind of respect for what you do. Flashing your mojo and learning peoples’ desires. I didn’t understand it, but it was an effective weapon. And then it was a partnership. Me leaning on you and you leaning on me.

“It’s like the day we went to The Paddock and you punched Paolucci because he was giving me shit. That day you became a friend, Lucifer.”

“While I enjoy reliving our greatest hits,” he begins, walking past her, trying not to notice the lilacs and mint on her skin, “do we have a point today?” He reaches the bar and pours a drink. He decides to pour one for her, too.

Chloe follows him and leans into the bar. She’s determined. “If I was some gift”—he cringes—“wouldn’t I just fall into your arms like everyone else? If I was here to, what, have sex with you, wouldn’t we have fallen into bed that first night?”

“It didn’t take long,” he jabs.

She doesn’t falter. “For you, yes it did. It took months for me to sleep with you. Probably a record.”

_She’s not wrong._

“And I didn’t sleep with you that first time because I had some notion that it would be something greater than sex. I wanted to sleep with you. I wanted…to know what it’d feel like. If I was a gift, I never would’ve waited.”

Lucifer knows this conversation is just going to go in circles, so he grabs the scissors to snip it at the root. “You are a gift, Chloe. Whether it’s to sleep with me or love me or whatever nonsense my father drummed up, it doesn’t change that you were made for me.”

“You’re wrong. It _does_ matter.”

“Not to me.”

“So, that’s just it? We’re done?”

He drains his drink. “Yes. I already told you that.”

She walks around the bar and once again, he knows she’s going to touch him. She’s so damn predictable. Her hand touches his wrist—his drinking wrist—so he swaps his drink to the other hand, wishing he’d poured more before she approached. “I didn’t understand before about your emotions. I’m still learning. But Lucifer, you’re choosing to believe something with little proof because you don’t understand what you’re feeling otherwise.”

“I understand perfectly well.”

“It’s not a judgment.”

“It feels like one.”

She stops touching him, so he pours another drink. He does feel things that didn’t have names until recently. The problem isn’t that he doesn’t understand his emotions, but that he knows they were placed. 

“I’m trying here, Lucifer.”

“Don’t, Detective. Haven’t we been through enough?”

Chloe visibly deflates. He wishes there were some other way, but she’s determined and he’s just…tired. “I’ve been in love before you,” she tells him and he scoffs. _Great, exactly what I want to hear,_ he thinks. “I know what it feels like to fall in love. I know how it changes you and sometimes, it makes you feel crazy. Makes you suspicious because the thought of losing it is more painful than never having it. You’ve never had this before, Lucifer, so now you’re afraid. But what we have is real.”

“Prove it.”

“What? I…how can you expect me to prove something you can’t even see?”

He feels vindicated. “Exactly.”

Chloe seems broken for a moment, looking through the holes he’s just punched into her story, but then, her mouth sets. “You can’t prove your father manipulated us either.”

“Sure I can. You’re standing here.”

She practically growls in frustration, turning away from him. “Fuck, Lucifer. Why are you so goddamn stubborn? Why are you clinging to this _so hard_? I mean, do you not want me? Beyond the gift bullshit or whatever, is this just your elaborate way of dumping me? If so, congratulations on making it impossible to have a conversation with you.” She doesn’t even wait for his answer. “I am real,” she demands. “What I feel for you is real.” She stabs at the bar with her pointer finger. “I am in love with you and not because of some fucking divine… _thing_! I know you’re learning and I’ll give you time and space to understand your emotions, but I won’t have you stand there and deny that what I feel for you is real.”

He glances at her and her eyes are wet. She turns away. She sniffles. “You’ve literally been to Hell and back for me. You think that isn’t love?”

Lucifer feels like a freight train has hit his chest and is now dragging him along the train tracks. She’s right; he doesn’t understand his emotions when it comes to her, but he does understand his emotions when it comes to Hell. He hates the place. Promised to never go there again. Nothing would drag him down there. Nothing.

Except her.

His Detective.

Once he’d made the decision, he never once second-guessed himself. Even when Amenadiel questioned him and Maze gave him that look—the one that was a good-bye and how could you do this, all wrapped into one. He was the only one who could save her and he would do it again and again just for the moment when she awoke, took his hand, and smiled at him. He loved her so much in that moment, but even after he returned and held her as she slept, he knew he’d have to leave her. He needed to protect her once more.

But Chloe Decker needs little protection. She’s stronger than anyone he knows. She has this capacity for love and understanding that makes her formidable. She knows herself and to think she wouldn’t know her own emotions is…stupid.

And yet, he can’t lean into it.

He’s… “I’m afraid,” he admits.

Chloe whips to face him, a few tear marks staining her cheeks. She wipes at them. “Afraid of what?”

“If it’s not real,” he begins, sounding like a broken record, “then I’ll be…”

He can’t drum up the word.

But she knows. “Heartbroken.” He nods.

“Aren’t you already heartbroken? I know I am,” she admits.

He nods.

Chloe turns to him but doesn’t touch him and it’s the one time in the last few minutes that he desperately craves her touch. She reaches for the second drink he’d poured and wraps her fingers around the glass. She pauses, as if considering whether to drink or not, but decides to do it. She takes a tentative sip and then washed the rest of it back.

Lucifer pours her another without a word.

She nods as a thank you.

She takes this one a little bit slower. “The way I see it, you can keep running off and ignoring me. We can stop being in each other’s lives. Or we can keep working together and, ignoring the fact that whether or not these feelings grew from what we had or were manufactured, we still feel them. Or we could keep going as we were.”

He’s not sure any of those options are good for them. They’ll both get hurt. But like she said, they’re already hurting.

Lucifer looks at her and she looks at him and he could swear time stops. He wants nothing more than to hold her, connect with her. It’s not even about the sex (which he does miss), but about her. He couldn’t bare not having her in his life.

Her phone rings and he watches as she pulls it from her back pocket.

“Decker,” she says, looking away from him. “Mm-hmm. Yeah, sure, Ella. I’ll be right there.”

“New case?” he asks hopefully.

Chloe pushes her second drink away with a shake of her head. “No, just a cold one with some new evidence. I have to go.”

“I could come with you.”

She pauses, as if she likes the idea of that, but then shakes her head again. “No. Thanks, though.”

As she walks around the bar, Lucifer thinks of about a million things to say to her. He needs to truly give her the answers she’s been searching for. He needs to tell her how her near-death almost ruined him. How he loves her. He wants to say it again, but it’s lodged in his throat. 

Chloe pauses at the foot of the stairs and half-turns. He stands at attention. “You know, at some point I wish you’d just trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

“Do you? You don’t trust me to know my own emotions.”

“Detective, that’s different.”

“Not to me,” she tells him. She grips the railing and looks out into Lux. “At some point, you’re going to have to make a choice between believing me, as I stand here, telling you I love you, but with no proof beyond that. Or believing your father’s manipulating you with no proof. I can’t…I won’t do this back and forth forever, Lucifer.”

“You deserve better,” he tells her, like he did on the beach.

“That’s not your decision to make.”

With that, she turns and leaves and Lucifer feels…empty.

* * *

He winces as he pats at the blood from his head wound. It’s a real bitch that someone like Maze can still physically hurt him. He might be a hundred times stronger than her, but she’s still a hundred times stronger than the strongest human, so her punches hurt.

Lucifer hears the elevator ding, welcoming a guest, and he winces again. If it’s Maze to finish him off—

“Lucifer?” Chloe calls out.

Instantly, his heart hammers in his chest.

Lucifer walks from his bathroom, keeping the rag on his hairline because it’s not like he can hide his bloodied face from her. “Hello, Detective,” he greets her from the top of his steps.

“What the hell happened to you?”

He pulls back the rag to check the blood and it seems to still be caked on. “Maze.”

Chloe walks in a fast clip toward him until she’s standing on the top of the steps. She covers his hand in hers and removes the rag. “Why did Maze kick the shit out of you?” She takes his chin gently and turns his face from left to right and then back again. She’s inventorying his injuries.

“She didn’t walk away unscathed.”

“And the reason for a bloody battle?”

His lip quirks. She pushes him gently towards the bed and then makes him sit down with a firm hand on his shoulder. “She wasn’t in on the plan.”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “Great, the mysterious plan.” She holds the rag to his head. “Hold this. I’m going to get some supplies to fix you up. You have medical supplies, right?”

“I do now that you’re in my life, Detective. I could be wounded any moment.” He nods towards the bathroom. “The linen closet,” he tells her.

She walks away without a word. There’s still tension between them. Sure, they’ve been working together, but after her visit to Lux last week, it seems like more has been up in the air. The ball has been in his court, as it were, and he’s been working on a way to return her volley. Or hit? Tennis metaphors aren’t really for him…

Chloe walks back into the room with rubbing alcohol, clean cloths, and bandages. She sets everything on the bed beside his hip and grabs the alcohol first with a clean cloth. He watches her silently. She nudges her fingers against his and he removes the bloodied cloth, holding it in his lap. He looks up at her. She stands between his spread thighs, but she’s too focused on fixing him to really notice much else.

He’s very aware of her body so close to his.

She’s been patient. She’s been understanding, even when she only has half the story. Lucifer can’t keep locking her up in the dark. She deserves more. “It’s not meant to be a mysterious plan,” he offers. For a moment, her eyes flicker to his but then she looks away again. “It was a half-baked plan, but it’s solidified.”

“Good for you.”

“Amenadiel, myself, and our mother are trying to return to Heaven.”

Her hand pauses. “You…what?” She looks at him now.

“I won’t stay,” he tells her, something he should’ve told Maze to save himself a lot of pain. Instantly, Chloe seems relieved. “I don’t belong there, but my mother and Amenadiel are itching to get back. So, there’s a blade that will help us break through the gates of Heaven and I’ll return the two of them to where they belong and I’ll return to where I belong.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

He sighs. “Because I didn’t want you to think I would be leaving you.”

“I believe your word, Lucifer. If you tell me you’ll return, then I trust you’ll return.”

He looks up at her but without moving his head. His eyes land on her breasts and he looks away. He’d love to ogle her, but right now is not the time. Chloe pats along a cut on his cheek. He moves with her as she cares for him. His eyes settle just below her breasts, watching the hypnotic rise and fall of her chest as she breathes. She’s gentle as she cleans up his face and even without seeing himself, he knows he looks better. Chloe notices his knuckles. She lifts his hands in hers. “You really laid into her, didn’t you?”

“She started it.”

“I’d have to arrest you for this if she wasn’t a demon.”

Lucifer smiles a little. “How’s it been? Living with a demon.”

“I kinda wish you’d told me _before_ she moved in, but it explains _a lot_. Trixie loves her though, so I’ll put up with the knife throwing and the inappropriate sex friends. Luckily, she’s learning. I think. She’s hard to read.”

He laughs. “Yes. I have eons of anecdotes.” He also asks, “You’re not afraid of her?”

Chloe looks at him over his knuckles. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

She can see right through him. “Sometimes.”

“You’ve never scared me, Lucifer,” she says with so much conviction. “I know you’d never hurt me or anyone I love. You’re good,” she says, pausing again. She sighs, holding his gaze. Chloe reaches out and gently touches his cheek, where there’s very little damage, shockingly. “But all this is new to you. Loving someone. Caring for their heart. And I’m not sure if I can stand my heart breaking again for you.”

Lucifer places his hand over hers. “I know. I’m…learning. It’s not easy.”

She nods. “I know.”

“I’d ask for your patience, if you have any more to give.”

“Patience for what?” she asks. “You never told me what you want and if we’re not on the same page, then what’s—”

“—You.” His hands reach out and curl around her hips. “I spoke to Amenadiel and he said something. God is about belief, right?” Chloe nods. “Without someone divine, like Amenadiel, there’s no confirmation of God on Earth, but yet He’s everywhere because He’s believed to be everywhere.” Lucifer’s fingers touch the hem of her shirt and he wants too much to feel her warm skin. “Amenadiel said that our father wants us to make our own beliefs. He’s not one to dole out answers, but he provides the questions.

“Right now, the question is if you can love me even if you’re made for me.”

Chloe tenses.

Lucifer tightens his grip on her for a moment. “But the more important question is _why_ you were made for me and I think you and Amenadiel are right. But more importantly, I choose to _believe_ you’re right, because Chloe, I don’t want any part of tomorrow without you.”

Her one hand falls onto his shoulder, squeezing him. “Okay.”

He laughs a little. “Okay?”

“I don’t know what else to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” His hands slide around to take her by the bum and pull her closer. She comes willingly.

“Lucifer…maybe we shouldn’t. You’re all banged up and—”

“Chloe,” he whispers and gently lifts her shirt just enough so he can lean in and kiss just below her belly button. “It’s been weeks of uncertainty. Since before your poisoning. Since I showed you who I am. If you don’t want to, then I’ll stop, but if you’re hesitating because you think I’m just playing you lip service, then hear this.

“I am in love with you. Not because you were put in my path, but because you walked that path with me. I know it’s probably weird, me being the Devil, but—”

“—No. It’s not weird. Not to me, at least.”

Chloe’s hands stroke along the back of his head, one of the few spots that’s left untouched by Maze’s fists. It feels good. He looks up at her and her eyes are a little wide, simply watching him. He feels it—that spark. A fire within that has nothing to do with the fires of Hell running through his veins. It’s _her_. It’s been her for so long. It’s desire and love, all entwined and filling him with so much hope.

“We could be falling right into my father’s trap, but I don’t think I care.”

“I don’t care either,” she admits.

He glances at her lips and he can taste her before she leans down to kiss him. He wraps his arms tightly around her and releases a frustrated sound, which she swallows, because he’s removing that frustration from his body for as long as he lives. Because she’s here and she’s his and he, irrevocably, is hers.

Lucifer has so much more he needs to say, but for now, he needs this more. He doesn’t hurt. Instead, she makes him feel good for the first time in weeks. He yields to her tongue as she presses her dominance over him. The lust in his veins takes over and he pulls her down into his lap. Her thighs spread and she straddles him. Chloe sighs against him and presses down onto him, moving her hips, as if he needs any more incentive. 

The cloth to clean him is long forgotten, tossed onto the floor. Any hesitation is forgotten, too, because they’re good at this. He might have a lot to learn, but he knows how to worship her.

Lucifer stands, holding her legs around his waist, before turning and setting her down onto the bed. He holds her calf as he rids her of one of her boots. She sits up enough to pull her shirt up and over her head.

He pulls off her sock. “You’re beautiful,” he tells her.

She flushes.

Lucifer works on the second boot while Chloe removes her bra. She’s working quickly, her fingers undoing her jeans. He’s there to assist and then she’s naked. He doesn’t even move to disrobe. Not yet. He takes in the sight of her, despite the flush creeping along her skin. She’s not self-conscious, he knows, but it’s from the intensity of his gaze. Or so she told him once.

He climbs down and his lips find her knee first. Her fingers scrape over his scalp. “Let me know if I’m hurting you,” she says selflessly.

“You won’t hurt me, Chloe.”

“If I do…”

“I’ll tell you, darling.” 

Her eyes meet his as he holds the outside of her thigh and begins kissing down, down, down and she breathes in and out, trying to maintain some control, it seems, but each breath is ragged. He kisses her pubic hair and her hips already roll from his smallest touch. Lucifer teases her before sliding a finger inside followed by a second. Her toes curl on the bedding. He slips his tongue lower and presses it to her clit, before he rolls it, which he knows she likes.

They move together as he pleasures her and he’s delighted to be able to do it again. To taste her and hear the noises she makes. To watch her arching up against the mattress. Her feet resting on his shoulders now. And then the moment she comes, how the sound makes him want to follow suit.

She pulls him towards her, up along her body. She kisses him unabashedly, while her hands work his clothes from his body. He assists, once again, until his bare skin is flush against hers. Chloe pushes his shoulder, guiding him to lie on his back. His mouth breaks from hers, giving her the chance to kiss his jaw, down his throat, and to his chest. Lucifer balls her hair in his hands and watches her descent. He shivers from the attention. When he releases her hair, he feels it dragging over him and it only serves to turn him on further. His cock is hard and aching against his belly. She wraps her hand around him, the tiniest touch of relief.

“Chloe,” he moans for her.

She looks up. He holds himself up on one elbow to watch her. There’s a look in her eye that is nearly his undoing. She wraps her mouth around him and he can practically taste the stars. He can’t resist rocking into her as she gives him her undivided attention. She’s perfect, lavishing him in the way he always desires. He can’t even watch her because he’ll be done. Fuck his stamina because even a single glance of her mouth on him and he’ll be done. 

He does give into the pleasure and when he comes, she moans. It’s maddening.

Chloe crawls up his body as he did to her. His eyes are screwed shut. “Did I kill you?” she asks, amused.

“Yes.”

She presses her chest to his as she relaxes into his skin. “I didn’t say you could die.”

He cracks his eyes and grins. “Oh, is that how it is? You have to grant permission.”

Chloe nods. “It’s a big part of being in a relationship. You wouldn’t know, of course.”

Lucifer wraps his arm around her back. “True, I wouldn’t. It appears you have a lot to teach me.”

“Mm, I do. It’ll take hours. Days. Weeks. Years.”

“You skipped months,” he whispers against her lips.

“Months,” she whispers back.

He flips her onto her back and slides into her. They make love slowly, enjoying the feeling after so long. But it is different this time. They’ve exchanged ‘I love yous,’ he’d bared his soul to her. She’s told him all she needs and he’s worked to provide that to her. They’ve had a lifetime in a couple of weeks and it’s been exhausting. But their bodies aren’t exhausted, not as they move together. It’s euphoria, loving her and being loved by her. Lucifer never thought he could have that. Never thought he wanted it. No connection was more important than his desires until the day a connection with her became his only desire.

She leans in and fits her mouth perfectly over his. He’s reminded of the dizzying effect of their first kiss, how she’d interrupted him simply to kiss him. How she’s tasted of whiskey and mint. Something sweet, too. Nothing has changed and everything has changed. He loved her then and he loves her now.

Except now, he’s sure she loves him in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might read this as a last chapter and sure, I could've done that, but I have just one more. A little levity after all this angst. (I truly didn't expect it to get so angsty, but I forgot I was writing season two Deckerstar, which is just angst city. Season four Deckerstar is angst universe, which I think we'd all agree upon.) Anyway, enjoy, and thank you for your support!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is worried after Lucifer seemingly disappears for three days. When he returns, there's something different about him. Takes place 3x01 ("They're Back, Aren't They?").

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I take some MAJOR liberties and basically ignore the show's timeline in this final chapter. So sue me. Also, we now live in fluff city. Enjoy!

Chloe should be used to Lucifer’s schedule, or lack thereof, but she’s not because she worries when he’s gone. It’s been three days and nothing. Not a text. Not a returned call. She stopped by Lux and the penthouse and everything seemed normal, but the last she heard from him, he was leaving her a message. _I’ll be by tonight, Detective, if you’ll have me._ He was practically purring and she can imagine him with a little smirk, knowing exactly how their evening would go.

Except he never showed up.

She tried to track his phone, but he’s turned off the GPS feature. Which, sure, the government is always tracking phones, but now Chloe can’t track her own boyfriend and for all she knows, he’s dead somewhere. Or he did go to Heaven. Everything that happened with Charlotte on the pier was murky, but perhaps they flew off together. _Does the original goddess have wings?_

Chloe sets down the book she can’t even focus on enough to read and takes a sip of wine. Trixie’s asleep and Maze is away, so Chloe is without distraction. _Lucifer is the perfect distraction._ Only, she needs distraction from the _lack_ of Lucifer in her life.

If not for Trixie, she’d go into the precinct and do some work. The energy of the precinct is distracting enough that she could refocus. She tells herself Lucifer is fine. He’s the Devil, so without her around, he’ll be fine. _He’s fine. He’s fine._

_He. Is. Fine._

He’s ruined her. A few months ago she was a detective, a mom, and an avid reader with not much to do at night. But now she craves him. She wants to hear his voice—see his little smirk—feel his—

_Keep it together, Decker._

_Chloe Morningstar._

“Shut up, Chloe,” she whispers to herself.

She pushes from her seat, setting her wine glass on the coffee table. She crosses the room with no goal. She needs to just go to sleep. She needs… Maybe she should try to find Amenadiel again. He might know where Lucifer is. She can’t think of anything else and—

The front door handle rattles and Chloe stops. She looks towards her door and watches the lock just turn and for a second, she freezes. _What the fu—_

She rushes over to her gun safe, typing in the code at record speed. As the door opens, she’s pulling back the safety on her gun and holding it before her.

Lucifer stands in the now open door.

Chloe is washed in relief. She lowers her gun. “Seriously? You’re breaking into my house _again_ , Lucifer? I could’ve shot you.”

“It seemed a little necessary as I’ve been gone—”

“—For three days. Yes, I realized that. Where the hell were you?” She turns the safety back on and returns her gun to the safe. “Or…were you in Hell?” she asks as she locks the safe.

He walks into her apartment and shuts the door behind him. “You won’t believe me.”

She walks towards him. “You’re the Devil; I’ll believe you.”

As she approaches, Lucifer reaches for her and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She runs her hands up along his back, feeling his suit jacket and the relief overwhelms her. She leans back in his arms. “Did something happen?”

He nods slowly. “I…Step back, Detective.”

“Step back?”

“It’s okay. I’m okay,” he reassures her, so she steps back. “I awoke in the desert. No shirt, sunburnt—but thankfully you weren’t around so I healed quickly”—she rolls her eyes—“and then…well…”

Chloe sees him struggling with something and then—

_Wings._

Wingswingswingswingswin—

“Wings,” she says, staring at the white wings which have seemingly sprouted from Lucifer’s shoulders. “You have wings,” she tells him, as if he doesn’t already know.

“Yes.” He tucks them away.

“Wait…wait…where did they go?” She asks and she walks around him, laying her hands on his shoulders, the top of his back. She’s searching him. He chuckles, which she feels through her palm. As she walks around him, he catches her hand. “Do they just…disappear?”

He kisses her palm before pulling her against him. “I will answer all your questions, but first…” He kisses her lips slowly and she feels warmth spread throughout her body. Her hands press to his chest and they properly greet each other. Because it has been three days and she’s missed him. She can taste that he’s missed her, too. Lucifer smiles against her lips and she does the same before she pulls away from him. “I can’t kiss you if you’re smiling at me.”

Lucifer’s breath washes over her. “I kissed you, I believe.”

“Is this a competition?”

“Would you like it to be one?” he teases.

Chloe kisses him now and his smile melts so his lips can part for her. He reaches down and lifts her by the back of the thighs. A minute ago, she was so distracted by his wings— _freaking wings_ —but once again, he’s excellent at distracting her. He sets her on the kitchen counter and her hips press into his hips. Her hands run up his back and she wants him desperately. He groans, pressing into the small movements her hips make until—

_Whoosh._

“Bloody hell,” he complains.

Chloe sees his wings again. “What the…”

“I’m having to re-learn how to control them. It’s been a while.”

“Did they…pop because you were…?” Her eyebrows raise.

“Turned on? Yes, Detective. We’re not children in the play yard, so we can call it was it is. You’ve made me horny and now I’ve prematurely unfurled.”

He seems like he might want to pull away, but Chloe holds him against her by the small of his back. His wings settle behind him after knocking into her tea kettle, upturning the utensil holder on the counter, and clanging a few mugs together. She looks at the long white feathers, amazed by how big his wings are. She’s not sure what she expected, but honestly, she didn’t expect anything because he said they were gone.

Her hands slowly slide up his back and he stands there. “Is this okay?” she whispers.

Lucifer nods. 

She startles a little when her hands reach the juncture of his wings and his shoulder blades. She remembers his scars—not that she could ever forget them. The feel of them, surprisingly smooth. The look he’d give her whenever she touched him there. It always seemed more intimate than touching him anywhere else. But now, she’d imagine the scars are gone because he has wings. Wings that she can touch. Her fingers touch the soft down between the feathers first. She looks into his dark eyes. He nods subtly.

She buries all ten of her fingers into him, feeling the juncture and wondering, “Are they heavy?”

“No. Feels like two other limbs.”

Chloe’s fingers reach to the sides so she can feel one of the longer feathers. He doesn’t seem upset, but perhaps apprehensive. “I can stop.”

He shakes his head. “I’ve invited very few people to touch my wings. No people at all, actually. Maze, when she cut them off. Lilith, but only once and it was…different.”

“Different, how?”

“Well, I wasn’t hard as a rock standing between her spread legs.”

Chloe laughs, which makes him laugh. He looks a little proud of himself. She moves her hands to his face, touching him somewhere that might not be so conflicting. She strokes along his stubble, feeling its coarseness along her palms. “Why did they come back?”

He holds her hips. “I’m not sure. My father, I’d assume. A punishment.”

“Why would your wings be a punishment? They’re beautiful.”

“They’re a charade. Either he wants me to return to Hell or is taunting me with Heaven. I gave my mother her own dimension, which probably went against one of his terms and conditions that I didn’t read before signing. It’s some sort of sign, which I’ll have to figure out.”

Chloe sighs. She’s watched him torture himself over what his father means with each little thing that happens, but Chloe has learned one thing. “You can’t guess what your father is trying to tell you. You have to believe something to be true. Remember?”

“Well, then, I _believe_ he’s fucking with me.”

“I think there’s other things to think about right now.”

He grins. “Like you,” he says as his hands stroke down her thighs. “And what was about to happen before my wings decided to make an appearance…” 

He tucks his wings away. One moment they’re there and then they’re not. Chloe wants to know exactly where they go, what it looks like from the back when they disappear, but she doesn’t want him to feel like a circus freak. She runs her hands back up and feels nothing where his wings should be.

“I was thinking more of why you were in the desert for three days.”

“Oh, yes, _that_. Well, I was kidnapped. Devil-napped,” he corrects himself. “I was thinking you and I could go search for clues tomorrow.”

Chloe is hearing him, but she doesn’t understand. “You were kidnapped?”

He nods nonchalantly. “Yes, which wasn’t in the plan. I’d just left you that message when I was struck over the head. I lost my phone, which is an annoyance I’ll deal with tomorrow. And then I was dropped in the desert and poof—my bloody wings are back on. I really should cut them off again. Maze is away, but—oh—Detective, you could—”

“—I’m not cutting off your wings, Lucifer.”

He pouts. “Why not?”

“Can we get back to the fact that someone _kidnapped_ you? Aren’t you worried?”

Lucifer shakes his head and earnestly says, “No.”

“Why not?”

“I was concerned for you, Chloe. I knew you’d be worrying. Being back here, no, I’m not worried. Plus, my girlfriend happens to be a homicide detective with a gun. I believe I’m safe.

She smiles at him, feeling that fluttering he always draws inside her. “Maybe,” she says as she leans closer, “we should go upstairs.”

“What’s upstairs?” he asks, playing coy.

Chloe wraps her legs around his waist. “You’ll have to take me up there to find out.”

Lucifer easily carries her up the stairs and with her door shut, she shows him exactly what’s been waiting for him.

* * *

They lie in bed, a thin sheet wrapped around them, with the window cracked to let in a touch of cool air. Chloe’s skin is slick. Her legs are shaky, even as they do nothing but lie there like two pieces of driftwood. Lucifer looks completely satiated. He blinks slowly at her and it hits her how she swore she’d never be here with him, but how much she’d miss without this.

She can’t deny that the moment she met him, he ignited something different inside her. She thought it was hatred, at first. He was so annoyingly arrogant and cocky and sure, she’s always liked a touch of that, but he brought a whole buffet. Feeling something more happened so quick. She remembers the feeling of his hand wrapped around her wrist after she’d touched his wing scars and how he’d said _Don’t, please._ It was then that she felt something. Something greater than just a partner on the job. But even before them, that first case, she knew something was different about him and how he made her feel.

Lucifer’s hand curls over her side. “I can see you thinking.”

“No you can’t.”

The sheets rustle as he moves closer. “Yes. I can.”

She tangles her legs between his, resting her slightly chilly feet against his warm ankles. He doesn’t even flinch. “I was thinking about you, if you must know.”

Lucifer props himself up with his fist resting against his temple. “Good things, I should hope.”

“No. All bad. Terrible things.”

“Wicked things?”

She laughs. “No, actually.” She lays her hand against his chest, feeling his heat, feeling his heartbeat. “I was just reminiscing. Remembering the early days. Before we were…more.”

“More?” he asks. “I’d hope we’d have a better label than simply ‘more.’”

Chloe laughs and tucks herself against him. “Like what?”

He curls around her, practically lying across her. “Partners, friends,” he begins listing, “lovers”—she makes a face at the word she doesn’t like—“a couple, significant others, boyfriend-girlfriend, confidants, soulmates…”

Lucifer allows that word to hover between them. Chloe’s never believed much in soulmates, but she also didn’t believe in the Devil either, but he’s in her bed. Opinions change, but she’s still not so sure. “Is that real? ‘Soulmates?’ I mean, one person for everyone? That just seems…lonely.”

“I’m not sure,” he admits. “I was never given a handbook, but I do believe there’s something similar. Only, it’s not just one person. Soulmates,” he repeats, put emphasis on the ‘s.’ “Could mean you have multiple people who touch your soul in some way. Friends, relatives, lovers.”

“Ugh, I truly hate that word.”

“Why?”

“It just feels so…Victorian bodice ripper.”

“The Victorian Age did lend itself well to the ripping of bodices. Lots of pent-up desires. It kept me quite busy.”

“I forgot who I was talking to. Of course you were around back then.”

“I popped in and out. Nothing held my interest for long.”

Chloe runs her fingers over his forearm. “Until now. I’d like to take all the credit.”

Lucifer laughs. “Mm, well, you certainly deserve the credit as of late. I tried other times, but everyone was so repressed. As you can imagine, that wasn’t my sort of scene. But now, humans are free. Mostly free. It’s been entertaining certainly, but, if you’ll allow me a touch of sincerity, I do find more meaning in my life in the last year. Even before we shared a bed. Becoming your partner gave me a bit more purpose.”

She strokes his shoulders. “I’m glad.”

“Well, right, that’s enough of that.”

Chloe holds his face, keeping his eyes on her even when he moves to look away. “I am glad, Lucifer, because you are the best partner I’ve had. In all aspects.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Ah, shall I run and tell Daniel?”

“No. Don’t you dare. Promise me.”

“I promise, Detective.”

She settles back, as does he. He lies down, stretching his arm out. Chloe lifts her head to rest it on his bicep. It all seems so normal. After their highs and lows the last few months (hell, the last three days), she never thought it’d just be normal to be in bed with him. Each of those first few times felt like clandestine meetings, shrouded in shadows as they snuck around. It was thrilling, but not sustainable. Sure, they still need to tell the people in their lives—apart from Linda—but it’s nice not having to hide.

Lucifer surprises her with a kiss. She’s breathless against his lips but quickly settles in against him. His hand sweeps down—down further—until it cups between her legs. She moans against his lips. “You’re not tired, are you, Detective?” he whispers against her lips.

She shakes her head and spreads her legs.

He takes his time with her, kissing along her already burning skin. Her fingers knit together in his dark hair, which falls in curls across his scalp. Despite hating the word, he truly is the best lover she can imagine. He caters to her, drives her up the side of a mountain, and then carries her down the other side. He gives her more orgasms than she’s ever think she’d want, but with him there’s never enough of anything.

When they’re both ready, she pushes him back and slides on top of him. She loves watching him beneath her. The Devil, giving into her so easily. She’s not usually into the power play, but there’s something incredibly erotic about him relinquishing some of his power, if only for a few minutes.

She’s exhausted afterwards. Even Lucifer seems exhausted. Three days without sex and the two of them have been doing it like bunnies over the last few hours. Chloe looks at the clock and groans. “I have to sleep. I have to be up in four hours.”

Lucifer wraps around her like a blanket. “Sleep, darling.”

And they do.

* * *

Chloe feels warm all over. It’s not unpleasant. The window is still open from last night, so her bedroom is cold. She snuggles into Lucifer’s chest and he tightens his grip on her. She knows her alarm is going to go off soon—because isn’t that always the way—but she basks in the quiet morning minutes she’s given with Lucifer. 

She cracks open her eyes and looks at him. His face slack in his sleep. She misses his grin, but she’ll see it soon enough. She cups his cheek and feels her eyes flutter closed again.

It could be a minute or ten hours, but when she wakes up again, it’s not so peaceful.

“Mommy?”

Chloe startles awake. “Trix,” she says, panicked.

Only when she’s fully awake does she realize how panicked she should be. She’s covered by one of Lucifer’s wings—which, thank his dad because she is completely naked. She hides behind the wing while Lucifer slumbers next to her. She elbows him in the shoulder. He only grumbles.

“Hi, babe. Um…Lucifer is just dressing up for uh…”

Trixie stands in the doorway and Chloe truly hopes Lucifer’s covered up. She can’t see his lower half, but _please, please, please_ …she begs to whoever might be listening. Trixie is already dressed, so Chloe looks at her clock. It’s past seven. Whatever alarm she set she must’ve set wrong. She pushes her hair behind her ears. “Um, Monkey, give me a second, okay? I’ll be right down to make you waffles.”

Trixie looks at Lucifer’s wings for a minute longer before nodding. “Okay.”

Once Trixie is gone, Chloe puts all her body weight into waking Lucifer. “Lucifer Morningstar, so help me, I will murder you if you don’t—”

“—Gosh, you’re no fun this morning,” he complains while reaching for her. “Let me cheer you up.”

Chloe is out of the bed before he can convince her of anything. She stands there nude and notices—thankfully—that he is covered. Although, it probably doesn’t matter because of his freaking wings. “Lucifer,” she sighs and reaches for her robe. “Trixie just saw your wings.”

“My wi—bloody hell. These things have a mind of their own,” he complains while sitting up. The wings are gone. “I thought last night was a fluke, but—” he checks beneath the blankets, “nope, not ready. Hm. I’m going to have to train them to stay hidden if I’m going to keep them.” His eyes return to Chloe. He grins and it’s a relaxed smile. Something that makes her want to crawl back in bed. “You look radiant, Detective.”

She puts her hands on her hips. “What are we going to tell Trixie?”

He waves his hand in the air. “She already knows I’m the Devil.”

“She’s nine, Lucifer.”

“Yes, and she’s clearly the smartest in your family. No offense. But children believe me more easily. Hence why I hate the little goblins.”

“She had no proof before. Plus, she won’t believe you’re the Devil with white angel wings, Lucifer. Not unless she sees your face.”

Lucifer stands from the bed, walking with ease across the room. “Ah, meant to tell you last night. It appears my Devil face is gone. Replaced with the bloody wings.”

“It’s…gone? Does that mean you’re _not_ the Devil?”

“No. Once you’re Satan, you’re always Satan. Or…so I believe. Again, no handbook.”

“This has gotten complicated. I need to get downstairs to Trixie. She’s probably freaking out.”

“I’d imagine she’s coloring or playing with some toy.”

“She’s nine,” she repeats.

Lucifer shrugs. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean she can’t understand better than you might expect.”

* * *

Trixie is already making the waffle batter when Chloe makes it downstairs in her robe. She’s tied her hair back, trying to hide the sex hair, not like Trixie would understand that. Not only did Trixie see Lucifer’s wings, but she always saw her mom in bed with someone other than her father. It’s going to be a morning of uncomfortable questions.

“Hey, Monkey. You don’t need to do that.”

She stirs the contents of the big red bowl happily. “I found grandma’s recipe.”

“Grandma?” Chloe walks over and sees her grandmother’s recipe. Trixie’s great-grandmother. “Oh, yes. My nana was the best baker and her pancakes were to die for. But here, you should sit down. I’ll do this. I’m sure this morning was…confusing.”

Chloe hears the floorboards squeaks upstairs as Lucifer moves around. 

Trixie plops down at the counter, swinging her legs beneath her. “No. I’m not confused.”

“You’re not?”

“No. Are you and Lucifer going to get married?”

Right then, Lucifer walks into the room, adjusting his cuffs. “Only if your mother wants that.”

Trixie hops off the stool and wraps her arms around Lucifer. She might not have many boundaries with him, but at least she didn’t try to storm him this morning. “I saw your wings,” she tells him.

He holds up his hands. “Yes. I’ve been having trouble controlling them.”

“Lucifer…” Chloe warns. _Only if your mother wants that._ It echoes through her mind. Does she want that? Does Lucifer want that? What does being married to the Devil even look like?

“Child,” he begins and pries her arms from him. “Do you remember when we first met and I told you who I was?”

“The Devil,” she says with a nod.

He grins. “Precisely. Did that scare you?”

“No.”

“And why not?”

“Because the Devil is just a fallen angel. And I saw your wings, so I know it’s true!”

Lucifer motions to Trixie while looking at Chloe. “See? She gets it.” He walks around Trixie and towards Chloe. Her heart thumps in her chest. He grins at her. “Good morning, Detective,” he says slowly. Lucifer ducks down to press a soft kiss to her lips.

From perched on the stool, Trixie asks, “Do you wanna marry Lucifer, Mommy?”

Chloe swallows hard. “Uh…we haven’t really talked about it, Monkey. It’s early in our relationship.” She searches Lucifer’s eyes and he’s amused.

“Well, if you do get married, I want to be a bridesmaid, not a flower girl.”

Lucifer leans against the counter as Chloe pre-heats the waffle maker. “Don’t all little girls dream of being a flower girl?” he asks.

“Yes, _little_ girls. But I’m almost double-digits.”

“‘Double-digits?’”

“Ten,” she says with a roll of her eyes.

“Ah, yes. I forgot that ten is listed amongst the ‘big birthdays.’” He looks over at Chloe and she’s grinning.

It’s all so incredibly normal.

“Hey, Monkey? Why don’t you get your stuff for school together? We’re cutting it close this morning.”

Trixie hops off the stool. “Yeah, because you and Lucifer were doing a no-pants dance.”

“Wh-what?” Chloe practically chokes out.

“It’s what Maze calls it.”

Chloe’s hand grips the countertop. “Maze…” she grumbles.

With Trixie in her bedroom, Lucifer slides behind Chloe, wrapping his arms around her. Her shoulders relax and she leans into his touch. His lips are right at her ear. “It’s been an illuminating morning, wouldn’t you agree?” His hands splay across her stomach and then his lips find her throat, kissing warmly from her jaw down to her shoulder. His beard is scratchy against her skin, but it feels lovely.

She presses her hands atop his. “She’ll be back any second…” she warns.

“I’m not doing anything, Detective. I’m simply comforting you.”

“Comforting me?”

He nods and turns her by her shoulders so his hips pin her hips against the countertop. She looks up at him, hands resting loosely along his shoulders. “I didn’t want you to become stressed with all the child’s questions. Children are stressful, I’ve learned.”

Chloe laughs. “They can be. I just…she took the wing thing really well.”

“Children believe in Santa Claus, Detective. The Devil is just another tale to them.”

She nods. “And the marriage thing?”

“Something to discuss. It’d seem silly to love you so much and not make an honest woman out of you.”

“Be serious.”

“I _am_ serious, Detective.”

“You’d stand at the end of an aisle waiting to say ‘I do’ while I walked down in a white dress and a veil?”

He shrugs. “Not really how I pictured it, but sure, whatever you want, Detective. I was picturing us naked somewhere. Or maybe the courthouse.”

She bursts into laughter, tightening her grip on his. He wraps her close. “I love you,” she says easily.

“And I you, Chloe.” He leans in and brushes her lips with his.

Trixie returns with her backpack and Chloe and Lucifer untangle from one another. Chloe returns to making the waffles while listening to Lucifer and Trixie chatting back and forth. She knows life won’t truly ever be normal with Lucifer, but she’ll take a normal morning every once and a while. She glances at Trixie as she leans in close to Lucifer, pointing out something in one of the books she’s reading. He tips his head to look and she’s not scared. He’s not pulling away from her very presence. It’s…perfect.

Later, Lucifer offers to drive Trixie to school since Chloe is still in her robe.

“I remember what happened last time you drove her,” she says with her hands on her hips.

“Don’t worry, Mommy, I’ll make sure we go to _my_ school.”

Lucifer motions to her. “See? She’ll keep me in line.” He kisses her. “Stop worrying so much, Detective.” He runs his hand along her spine. “I’ll meet you at the precinct?”

She nods. “Please don’t get Devil-napped again.”

“I’ll do my level best. Bring your gun, just in case. Could be a bit of foreplay, too.”

“Lucifer…” she warns.

And he just chuckles. Trixie wraps her hand in his and drags him towards the door. “I’m going to be late!” she yells at him. He grumbles as he follows her out. “You humans and time. Time this and time that. You should all _stop_ worrying about it. It’s awfully boring.”

Chloe hears their voices disappear down the hall. A moment later, Lucifer is before her again. She looks up confused. “Wh—” and he kisses her thoroughly, holding her against his chest, his hands gripping her almost desperately. Chloe can’t think. She tastes mint on his tongue and a little whiskey. She tastes his need for her. She feels his arms tightening around her, gripping her, and she feels light-headed. He kisses her to fulfill something in both of them and it works. As he pulls away, she can feel him lingering inside her.

“There, now I can carry on with my errand.”

“I’m not an errand!” Trixie quips back.

“She’s just like you, you know.” Lucifer says.

Chloe grins. “I know.”

When he leaves this time, Chloe shuts the door behind them to get ready for her day. Perhaps tomorrow Lucifer will be called away to Hell. Or maybe he’ll bring her a coffee with a grin like normal. She’s unsure. She has no way of guessing on tomorrow, which should scare her, but it doesn’t. Life with Lucifer will certainly be interesting, but it’ll also be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny that my 5,000 word one-shot turned into a whole season two director's cut of over 40,000 words. Thank you for being encouraging. For commenting, kudo-ing, and truly being such a wonderful community. I never expected to write this, so it was a fun deep-dive into early Lucifer and I'm so incredibly thrilled you've enjoyed it. I'll be hanging in the comments and can't wait to hear from you!


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